Exposure apparatus, exposure method, and device manufacturing method

ABSTRACT

When a wafer on a fine movement stage supported by a coarse movement stage is exposed via a projection optical system with an illumination light at an exposure station, a position of the fine movement stage within an XY plane is measured with good precision by a measurement system. Further, when an alignment to a wafer on a fine movement stage supported by a coarse movement stage is performed at a measurement station, a position of the fine movement stage within an XY plane is measured with good precision by a measurement system.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This non-provisional application claims the benefit of ProvisionalApplication No. 61/139,314 filed Dec. 19, 2008, Provisional ApplicationNo. 61/213,376 filed Jun. 2, 2009, and Provisional Application No.61/272,398 filed Sep. 21, 2009, the disclosures of which are herebyincorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to exposure apparatuses, exposure methods,and device manufacturing methods, and more particularly to an exposureapparatus and an exposure method which are used in a lithography processto produce electronic devices such as a semiconductor device and thelike, and a device manufacturing method which uses the exposureapparatus or the exposure method.

2. Description of the Background Art

Conventionally, in a lithography process for manufacturing electrondevices (microdevices) such as semiconductor devices (such as integratedcircuits) and liquid crystal display devices, exposure apparatuses suchas a projection exposure apparatus by a step-and-repeat method (aso-called stepper) and a projection exposure apparatus by astep-and-scan method (a so-called scanning stepper (which is also calleda scanner) are mainly used.

Substrates such as a wafer, a glass plate or the like subject toexposure which are used in these types of exposure apparatuses aregradually (for example, in the case of a wafer, in every ten years)becoming larger. Although a 300-mm wafer which has a diameter of 300 mmis currently the mainstream, the coming of age of a 450 mm wafer whichhas a diameter of 450 mm looms near. When the transition to 450 mmwafers occurs, the number of dies (chips) output from a single waferbecomes double or more the number of chips from the current 300 mmwafer, which contributes to reducing the cost. In addition, it isexpected that through efficient use of energy, water, and otherresources, cost of all resource use will be reduced.

Semiconductor devices are gradually becoming finer, therefore, highresolution is required in exposure apparatuses. As means for improvingthe resolution, shortening a wavelength of an exposure light, as well asincreasing (a higher NA) a numerical aperture of a projection opticalsystem can be considered. To increase the substantial numerical apertureof the projection optical system as much as possible, various proposalsare made of a liquid immersion exposure apparatus that exposes a wafervia a projection optical system and liquid (refer to, e.g., U.S. PatentApplication Publication 2005/0259234, U.S. Patent ApplicationPublication 2008/0088843 and the like).

However, in the local liquid immersion type exposure apparatusesdisclosed in, for example, U.S. Patent Application Publication2005/0259234, U.S. Patent Application Publication 2008/0088843 and thelike, in the case of constantly maintaining a liquid immersion spaceformed under the projection optical system so as to maximize throughput,a plurality of stages (for example, two wafer stages, or a wafer stageand a measurement stage) has to be placed right under the projectionoptical system interchangeably.

When the size of the wafer becomes as large as 450 mm, while the numberof dies (chips) output from a single wafer increases, a risk also occursof throughput deceasing due to an increase in the time required toperform an exposure process on a single wafer. Therefore, as a method ofimproving throughput, employing a twin stage method can be consideredwhere an exposure process on a wafer is performed on one wafer stage,and processing such as wafer exchange, alignment or the like isperformed concurrently on another wafer stage, as is disclosed in, forexample, U.S. Pat. No. 6,590,634, U.S. Pat. No. 5,969,441, or U.S. Pat.No. 6,208,407 and the like. However, applying the exposure apparatususing the conventional twin stage method to the processing of the 450 mmwafer increased the size of the wafer stage, as well as its weight,which could decrease the position controllability, and consequentlydecrease an overlay accuracy between a pattern (shot area) alreadyformed on a wafer and a pattern of the next layer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provideda first exposure apparatus that exposes an object with an energy beam,the apparatus comprising: a holding member which holds the object, andis also movable at least within a two-dimensional plane including afirst axis and a second axis that are orthogonal to each other; anexposure station which has a first measurement system that irradiates atleast one first measurement beam from below on the holding member andreceives a return light of the first measurement beam so as to measure apositional information of the holding member within the two-dimensionalplane when the holding member is in a first area, and in which anexposure processing to irradiate the energy beam on the object isperformed; and a measurement station which has a second measurementsystem which is placed away from the exposure station on one side in adirection parallel to the first axis that irradiates at least one secondmeasurement beam from below on the holding member and receives a returnlight of the second measurement beam so as to measure a positionalinformation of the holding member within the two-dimensional plane whenthe holding member is in a second area, and in which a measurementprocessing on the object is performed.

According to this apparatus, when an exposure processing where an energybeam is irradiated on an object held by a holding member at an exposurestation, positional information of the holding member within thetwo-dimensional plane can be measured with good precision by the firstmeasurement system. Further, when a predetermined measurement processingis performed to an object held by a holding member at a measurementstation, positional information of the holding member within thetwo-dimensional plane can be measured with good precision by the secondmeasurement system.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provideda device manufacturing method, including exposing an object with thefirst exposure apparatus of the present invention; and developing theobject which has been exposed.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provideda second exposure apparatus which exposes a plurality of divided areason an object with an energy beam and forms a pattern, the apparatuscomprising: a movable body which is movable at least along atwo-dimensional plane including a first axis and a second axis that areorthogonal to each other; a holding member which is supported by themovable body and is relatively movable with respect to the movable bodyat least within a plane parallel to the two-dimensional plane holdingthe object, and whose measurement plane is provided on a planesubstantially parallel to the two-dimensional plane; a mark detectionsystem which detects a mark on the object; a first measurement systemwhich has a head section which irradiates at least one first measurementbeam on the measurement plane and receives light of the firstmeasurement beam from the measurement plane, and measures positionalinformation at least within the two-dimensional plane of the holdingmember based on an output of the head section; a drive system whichdrives the holding member in one of an individual and integral mannerwith the movable body; and a controller which detects each of aplurality of marks placed on the object corresponding to the pluralityof divided areas using the mark detection system while driving theholding member via the drive system, and obtains a target positioninformation so as to align the plurality of divided areas on the objectto a predetermined point, based on the detection results and thepositional information measured by the first measurement system at thetime of each mark detection.

According to this apparatus, each of a plurality of marks placed on theobject corresponding to the plurality of divided areas are detected by acontroller, using the mark detection system while driving the holdingmember via the drive system, and a target position information isobtained so as to align the plurality of divided areas on the object toa predetermined point, based on the detection results and the positionalinformation measured by the first measurement system at the time of eachmark detection. Accordingly, by driving the holding member which holdsthe object based on the target position information, it becomes possibleto align the plurality of divided areas to a predetermined point withhigh precision. For example, when the predetermined point serves as ageneration position of the pattern, it becomes possible to perform anoverlay with high precision between each of the plurality of dividedareas and the pattern.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provideda device manufacturing method, including forming a pattern on aplurality of divided areas on an object with the second exposureapparatus of the present invention; and developing the object which hasbeen exposed.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provideda third exposure apparatus that exposes an object with an energy beam,the apparatus comprising: a movable body which movably supports aholding member that holds the object; a detection system whichirradiates an optical beam on the object and detects alignmentinformation of the object; a drive system which drives the movable bodyand relatively drives the object with respect to the optical beam of thedetection system; a first measurement system which has at least a partof the system provided in a measurement member placed below the holdingmember, and measures positional information of the holding member byirradiating a measurement beam on a measurement plane of the holdingmember at the time of detection of the alignment information; and acontroller which executes detection of alignment information by thedetection system, based on positional information of the holding membermeasured by the first measurement system.

According to the apparatus, the drive system drives the movable bodywhich movably supports the holding member holding the object, and theobject is relatively moved with respect to the optical beam of thedetection system, and alignment information of the object is detected bythe detection system. At the time of detection of alignment information,a measurement beam is irradiated on a measurement plane of the holdingmember from the first measurement system which has at least a part ofthe system provided in a measurement member placed below the holdingmember, and positional information of the holding member is measured.And, the controller executes detection of alignment information by thedetection system, based on positional information of the holding membermeasured by the first measurement system. Therefore, it becomes possibleto obtain alignment information with good precision.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is providedan exposure method in which an object is exposed with an energy beam,the method comprising: detecting alignment information of the object bydriving a movable body which movably supports a holding ember that holdsthe object and relatively moving the object with respect to an opticalbeam of the detection system, using the detection system; measuringpositional information of the holding member by irradiating ameasurement beam on a measurement plane of the holding member at thetime of detection of the alignment information, from a first measurementsystem which has at least a part of the system provided in a measurementmember placed below the holding member; and executing detection ofalignment information by the detection system, based on positionalinformation of the holding member measured by the first measurementsystem.

According to the method, it becomes possible to obtain alignmentinformation with good precision.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a device manufacturing method, including exposing an objectwith the exposure method of the present invention; and developing theobject which has been exposed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings;

FIG. 1 is a view that schematically shows a configuration of an exposureapparatus of a first embodiment;

FIG. 2A shows a side view of a wafer stage which the exposure apparatusin FIG. 1 is equipped with when viewed from a −Y direction, and FIG. 2Bis the wafer stage shown in a planar view;

FIG. 3 is a planar view showing a placement of an alignment system and aprojection unit PU which the exposure apparatus in FIG. 1 is equippedwith, along with a wafer stage;

FIG. 4 is a view used to explain a movable blade which the exposureapparatus in FIG. 1 is equipped with;

FIG. 5 is a view used to explain a separation structure of a coarsemovement stage;

FIG. 6 is a planar view showing a placement of a magnet unit and a coilunit that structure a fine movement stage drive system;

FIG. 7A is a side view showing a placement of a magnet unit and a coilunit that structure a fine movement stage drive system when viewed fromthe −Y direction, and FIG. 7B is a side view showing a placement of amagnet unit and a coil unit that structure a fine movement stage drivesystem when viewed from the +X direction;

FIG. 8A is a view used to explain a drive principle when a fine movementstage is driven in the Y-axis direction, FIG. 8B is a view used toexplain a drive principle when a fine movement stage is driven in theZ-axis direction, and FIG. 8C is a view used to explain a driveprinciple when a fine movement stage is driven in the X-axis direction;

FIG. 9A is a view used to explain an operation when a fine movementstage is rotated around the Z-axis with respect to a coarse movementstage, FIG. 9B is a view used to explain an operation when a finemovement stage is rotated around the Y-axis with respect to a coarsemovement stage, and FIG. 9C is a view used to explain an operation whena fine movement stage is rotated around the X-axis with respect to acoarse movement stage;

FIG. 10 is a view used to explain an operation when a center section ofthe fine movement stage is deflected in the +Z direction;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing an aligner;

FIG. 12A is a view showing a rough configuration of an X head 77 x, andFIG. 12B is a view used to explain a placement of each of the X head 77x, Y heads 77 ya and 77 yb inside the measurement arm;

FIG. 13A shows a perspective view of a tip of a measurement arm, andFIG. 13B is a planar view when viewed from the +Z direction of an uppersurface of the tip of the measurement arm;

FIG. 14 is a block diagram used to explain an input/output relation of amain controller equipped in the exposure apparatus of the firstembodiment (the exposure apparatus in FIG. 1);

FIG. 15A is a view used to explain a drive method of a wafer at the timeof scanning exposure, and FIG. 158 is a view used to explain a drivingmethod of a wafer at the time of stepping;

FIG. 16 is a view used to explain a wafer alignment procedure performed(No. 1) in the exposure apparatus of the first embodiment;

FIGS. 17A and 17B are views used to explain a wafer alignment procedureperformed (No. 2) in the exposure apparatus of the first embodiment;

FIGS. 18A and 18B are views used to explain a wafer alignment procedureperformed (No. 3) in the exposure apparatus of the first embodiment;

FIGS. 19A and 19B are views used to explain a wafer alignment procedureperformed (No. 4) in the exposure apparatus of the first embodiment;

FIGS. 20A to 20D are views used to explain a parallel processingperformed using fine movement stages WFS1 and WFS2 (No. 1) in theexposure apparatus of the first embodiment;

FIG. 21 is a view used to explain a delivery of a liquid immersion space(liquid Lq) performed between a fine movement stage and a movable blade(No. 1);

FIG. 22 is a view used to explain a delivery of a liquid immersion space(liquid Lq) performed between a fine movement stage and a movable blade(No. 2);

FIG. 23 is a view used to explain a delivery of a liquid immersion space(liquid Lq) performed between a fine movement stage and a movable blade(No. 3);

FIG. 24 is a view used to explain a delivery of a liquid immersion space(liquid Lq) performed between a fine movement stage and a movable blade(No. 4);

FIGS. 25A to 25F are views used to explain a parallel processingperformed using fine movement stages WFS1 and WFS2 (No. 2) in theexposure apparatus of the first embodiment;

FIG. 26 is a planar view showing a schematic configuration of theexposure apparatus of the second embodiment;

FIG. 27 schematically shows a side view of the exposure apparatus inFIG. 26;

FIG. 28 is an enlarged view showing a state where a fine movement stageis mounted on the center table in FIG. 27;

FIG. 29A is a view (front view) of a wafer stage which the exposureapparatus in FIG. 27 is equipped with when viewed from a −Y direction,and FIG. 29B is the wafer stage shown in a planar view;

FIG. 30A is an extracted planar view of the coarse movement stage, andFIG. 30B is a planar view showing a state where the coarse movementstage is separated into two sections;

FIG. 31 is an enlarged planar view showing the vicinity of an alignmentsystem (aligner) which the exposure apparatus in FIG. 26 is equippedwith;

FIG. 32 is a block diagram used to explain an input/output relation of amain controller equipped in the exposure apparatus of the secondembodiment (the exposure apparatus in FIG. 26);

FIG. 33 is a view used to explain procedures of a first wafer alignment(precision priority mode) and a second wafer alignment (throughputpriority mode) performed (No. 1) in the exposure apparatus of the secondembodiment;

FIGS. 34A and 34B are views used to explain a first wafer alignmentprocedure performed (No. 2) in the exposure apparatus of the secondembodiment;

FIGS. 35A and 355 are views used to explain a first wafer alignmentprocedure performed (No. 3) in the exposure apparatus of the secondembodiment;

FIGS. 36A and 365 are views used to explain a first wafer alignmentprocedure performed (No. 4) in the exposure apparatus of the secondembodiment;

FIGS. 37A and 378 views used to explain a procedure of calibrating adetection center of an alignment system in the exposure apparatus of thesecond embodiment;

FIGS. 38A and 38B are views used to explain a second wafer alignmentprocedure performed (No. 2) in the exposure apparatus of the secondembodiment;

FIGS. 39A and 39B are views used to explain a second wafer alignmentprocedure performed (No. 3) in the exposure apparatus of the secondembodiment;

FIGS. 40A and 40B are views used to explain a second wafer alignmentprocedure performed (No. 4) in the exposure apparatus of the secondembodiment;

FIG. 41 is a view showing a state right after completion of exposure inthe exposure apparatus of the second embodiment, and is used to explaina state at the time when a delivery of a liquid immersion space (liquidLq) performed between a fine movement stage and a movable blade begins;

FIG. 42 is a view used to explain a state when the delivery of theliquid immersion space (liquid Lq) has been completed between the finemovement stage and the movable blade in the exposure apparatus of thesecond embodiment;

FIG. 43 is a view used to explain a parallel processing performed usingfine movement stages WFS1 and WFS2 (No. 1) in the exposure apparatus ofthe second embodiment;

FIG. 44 is a view used to explain a parallel processing performed usingfine movement stages WFS1 and WFS2 (No. 2) in the exposure apparatus ofthe second embodiment;

FIG. 45 is a view used to explain a parallel processing performed usingfine movement stages WFS1 and WFS2 (No. 3) in the exposure apparatus ofthe second embodiment;

FIG. 46 is a view showing a modified example of an encoder system; and

FIG. 47 is a view showing a modified example of a fine movement stageposition measurement system.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS A First Embodiment

A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below,with reference to FIGS. 1 to 25F.

FIG. 1 schematically shows a configuration of an exposure apparatus 100in the first embodiment. Exposure apparatus 100 is a projection exposureapparatus by the step-and-scan method, or a so-called scanner. As itwill be described later, a projection optical system PL is arranged inthe embodiment, and in the description below, a direction parallel to anoptical axis AX of projection optical system PL will be described as theZ-axis direction, a direction within a plane orthogonal to the Z-axisdirection in which a reticle and a wafer are relatively scanned will bedescribed as the Y-axis direction, a direction orthogonal to the Z-axisand the Y-axis will be described as the X-axis direction, and rotational(inclination) directions around the X-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axiswill be described as θx, θy, and θz directions, respectively. The samecan be said for a second embodiment which will be described later on.

As shown in FIG. 1, exposure apparatus 100 is equipped with an exposurestation 200 (exposure processing section) placed close to the end on the−Y side of a base board 12, a measurement station 300 (measurementprocessing section) placed close to the end on the −Y side of base board12, two wafer stages WST1 and WST2, a relay stage DRST, and a controlsystem and the like for these parts. Now, base board 12 is supported onthe floor surface almost horizontally (parallel to the XY plane) by avibration isolation mechanism (omitted in drawings). Base board 12 ismade of a member having a tabular form, and the degree of flatness ofthe upper surface is extremely high and serves as a guide surface whenthe three stages WST1, WST2, and DRST described above move.Incidentally, in FIG. 1, wafer stage WST1 is located at exposure station200, and wafer W is held on wafer stage WST1 (to be more specific, waferfine movement stage (hereinafter shortly described as fine movementstage) WFS1). Further, wafer stage WST2 is located at measurementstation 300, and another wafer W is held on wafer stage WST2 (to be morespecific, fine movement stage WFS2).

Exposure station 200 comprises an illumination system 10, a reticlestage RST, a projection unit PU, a local liquid immersion device 8 andthe like.

Illumination system 10 includes a light source, an illuminanceuniformity optical system, which includes an optical integrator and thelike, and an illumination optical system that has a reticle blind andthe like (none of which are shown), as is disclosed in, for example,U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0025890 and the like.Illumination system 10 illuminates a slit-shaped illumination area IARwhich is set on a reticle R with a reticle blind (also referred to as amasking system) by illumination light (exposure light) IL with asubstantially uniform illuminance. In this case, as illumination lightIL, for example, an ArF excimer laser beam (wavelength 193 nm) is used.

On reticle stage RST, reticle R on which a circuit pattern or the likeis formed on its pattern surface (the lower surface in FIG. 1) is fixed,for example, by vacuum chucking. Reticle stage RST is finely drivablewithin an X) plane, for example, by a reticle stage drive section 11(not shown in FIG. 1, refer to FIG. 14) that includes a linear motor orthe like, and reticle stage RST is also drivable in a scanning direction(in this case, the Y-axis direction, which is the lateral direction ofthe page surface in FIG. 1) at a predetermined scanning speed.

The positional information (including rotation information in the θ zdirection) of reticle stage RST in the XY plane is constantly detected,for example, at a resolution of around 0.25 nm by a reticle laserinterferometer (hereinafter referred to as a “reticle interferometer”)13, via a movable mirror 15 (the mirrors actually arranged are a Ymovable mirror (or a retro reflector) that has a reflection surfacewhich is orthogonal to the Y-axis direction and an X movable mirror thathas a reflection surface, orthogonal to the X-axis direction) fixed onreticle stage RST. The measurement values of reticle interferometer 13are sent to a main controller 20 (not shown in FIG. 1, refer to FIG.14). Incidentally, positional information of reticle stage RST can bemeasured by an encoder system as is disclosed in, for example, U.S.Patent Application Publication 2007/0288121 and the like.

Projection unit PU is placed below reticle stage RST in FIG. 1.Projection unit PU is supported via flange portion FLG provided in theouter periphery of the projection unit, by a main frame (also called ametrology frame) BD supported horizontally by a support member (notshown). Projection unit PU includes a barrel 40, and projection opticalsystem PL held within barrel 40. As projection optical system PL, forexample, a dioptric system is used, consisting of a plurality of lenses(lens elements) that is disposed along optical axis AX, which isparallel to the Z-axis direction. Projection optical system PL is, forexample, a both-side telecentric dioptric system that has apredetermined projection magnification (such as one-quarter, one-fifth,or one-eighth times). Therefore, when illumination system 10 illuminatesillumination area IAR on reticle R with illumination area IL, byillumination light IL which has passed through reticle R placed so thatits pattern surface substantially coincides with a first surface (objectsurface) of projection optical system PL, a reduced image of the circuitpattern of reticle R within illumination area IAR via projection opticalsystem PL (projection unit PU) is formed on a wafer W whose surface iscoated with a resist (a sensitive agent) and is placed on a secondsurface (image plane surface) side of projection optical system PL, onan area (hereinafter also referred to as an exposure area) IA conjugatewith illumination area IAR. And by reticle stage RST holding reticle Rand fine movement stage WFS1 (or fine movement stage WFS2) holding waferW being synchronously driven, reticle R is relatively moved in thescanning direction (the Y-axis direction) with respect to illuminationarea IAR (illumination light IL) while wafer W is relatively moved inthe scanning direction (the Y-axis direction) with respect to exposurearea IA (illumination light IL), thus scanning exposure of a shot area(divided area) on wafer W is performed, and the pattern of reticle R istransferred onto the shot area. That is, in the embodiment, the patternof reticle R is generated on wafer W according to illumination system 10and projection optical system PL, and then by the exposure of thesensitive layer (resist layer) on wafer W with illumination light IL,the pattern is formed on wafer W. In the embodiment, main frame BD issupported almost horizontally by a plurality of (e.g. three or four)support members which are each placed on an installation surface (floorsurface) via a vibration isolation mechanism. Incidentally, thevibration isolation mechanism can be placed between each of the supportmembers and main frame BD. Further, as is disclosed in, for example, PCTInternational Publication 2006/038952, math frame BD (projection unitPU) can be supported by suspension with respect to a main frame memberor to a reticle base (not shown), placed above projection unit PU.

Local liquid immersion device 8 is provided, corresponding to the pointthat exposure apparatus 100 of the embodiment performs exposure by aliquid immersion method. Local liquid immersion device 8 includes aliquid supply device 5, a liquid recovery device 6 (both of which arenot shown in FIG. 1, refer to FIG. 14), a nozzle unit 32 and the like.As shown in FIG. 1, nozzle unit 32 is supported in a suspended state bymain frame BD supporting projection unit PU and the like via a supportmember (not shown) so that the periphery of the lower end portion ofbarrel 40 that holds an optical element closest to the image plane side(the wafer W side) constituting projection optical system PL, in thiscase, a lens (hereinafter also referred to as a “tip lens”) 191, isenclosed. Nozzle unit 32 is equipped with a supply opening and arecovery opening of a liquid Lq, a lower surface to which wafer W isplaced facing and at which the recovery opening is arranged, and asupply flow channel and a recovery flow channel that are connected to aliquid supply pipe 31A and a liquid recovery pipe 31B (both of which arenot shown in FIG. 1, refer to FIG. 14), respectively. One end of asupply pipe (not shown) is connected to liquid supply pipe 31A while theother end of the supply pipe is connected to a liquid supply unit 5 (notshown in FIG. 1, refer to FIG. 14), and one end of a recovery pipe (notshown) is connected to liquid recovery pipe 31B while the other end ofthe recovery pipe is connected to a liquid recovery device 6 (not shownin FIG. 1, refer to FIG. 14). In the embodiment, main controller 20controls liquid supply device 5 (refer to FIG. 14), and supplies liquidbetween tip lens 191 and wafer W via liquid supply pipe 31A and nozzleunit 32, as well as control liquid recovery device 6 (refer to FIG. 14),and recovers liquid from between tip lens 191 and wafer W via nozzleunit 32 and liquid recovery pipe 31B. During the operations, maincontroller 20 controls liquid supply device 5 and liquid recovery device6 so that the quantity of liquid supplied constantly equals the quantityof liquid which has been recovered. Accordingly, a constant quantity ofliquid Lq (refer to FIG. 1) is held constantly replaced in the spacebetween tip lens 191 and wafer W. In the embodiment, as the liquidabove, pure water that transmits the ArF excimer laser beam (light witha wavelength of 193 nm) is to be used. Incidentally, refractive index nof the water with respect to the ArF excimer laser beam is around 1.44,and in the pure water, the wavelength of illumination light IL is 193nm×1/n, shorted to around 134 nm.

Besides this, in exposure station 200, a fine movement stage positionmeasurement system 70A is provided, including a measurement arm 71Asupported almost in a cantilevered state (supported in the vicinity ofone end) by main frame BD via a support member 72A. However, finemovement stage position measurement system 70A will be described afterdescribing the fine movement stage, which will be described later, forconvenience of the explanation.

Measurement station 300 is equipped with an alignment device 99 fixed ina suspended state to main frame BD, and a fine movement stage positionmeasurement system 70B including a measurement arm 71B supported in acantilevered state (supported in the vicinity of one end) by main frameBD via a support member 72B. Fine movement stage position measurementsystem 70B faces an opposite direction but has a configuration similarto fine movement stage position measurement system 70A previouslydescribed.

Aligner 99, as disclosed in, for example, U.S. Patent ApplicationPublication No. 2008/0088843 and the like, includes five alignmentsystems AL1, and AL2 ₁ to AL2 ₄, shown in FIG. 3. To be more specific,as shown in FIG. 3, a primary alignment system AL1 is placed on astraight line (hereinafter, referred to as a reference axis) LV, whichpasses through the center of projection unit PU (optical axis AX ofprojection optical system PL, which also coincides with the center ofexposure area IA previously described in the embodiment) and is alsoparallel to the Y-axis, in a state where the detection center is locatedat a position that is spaced apart from optical axis AX at apredetermined distance on the −Y side. On one side and the other side inthe X-axis direction with primary alignment system AL1 in between,secondary alignment systems AL2 ₁ and AL2 ₂, and AL2 ₃ and AL2 ₄ whosedetection centers are substantially symmetrically placed with respect toa reference axis LV are severally arranged. That is, five alignmentsystems AL1 and AL2 ₁ to AL2 ₄ are placed so that their detectioncenters are placed along the X-axis direction. Incidentally, in FIG. 1,the five alignment systems AL1 and AL2 ₁ to AL2 ₄ are shown as analigner 99, including the holding apparatus (sliders) which hold thesesystems. Incidentally, a concrete configuration and the like of aligner99 will be described furthermore later on.

As it can be seen from FIGS. 1, 2A and the like, wafer stage WST1 has awafer coarse movement stage (hereinafter, shortly referred to as acoarse movement stage) WCS1, which is supported by levitation above baseboard 12 by a plurality of non-contact bearings, such as, for example,air bearings, provided on its bottom surface and is driven in an XYtwo-dimensional direction by a coarse movement stage drive system 51A(refer to FIG. 14), and a wafer fine movement stage (hereinafter,shortly referred to as a fine movement stage) WFS1, which is supportedin a non-contact manner by coarse movement stage WCS1 and is relativelymovable with respect to coarse movement stage WCS1. Fine movement stageWFS1 is driven by a fine movement stage drive system 52A (refer to FIG.14) with respect to coarse movement stage WCS1 in the X-axis direction,the Y-axis direction, the Z-axis direction, the θx direction, the θydirection, and the θz direction (hereinafter expressed as directions ofsix degrees of freedom, or directions of six degrees of freedom (X, Y,Z, θx, θy, θz)).

Positional information (also including rotation information in the θzdirection) in the XY plane of wafer stage WST1 (coarse movement stageWCS1) is measured by a wafer stage position measurement system 16A.Further, positional information in directions of six degrees of freedom(X, Y, Z, θx, θy, and θz) of fine movement stage WFS1 (or fine movementstage WFS2) supported by coarse movement stage WCS1 in exposure station200 is measured by fine movement stage position measurement system 70A.Measurement results (measurement information) of wafer stage positionmeasurement system 16A and fine movement stage position measurementsystem 70A are supplied to main controller 20 (refer to FIG. 14) forposition control of coarse movement stage WCS1 and fine movement stageWFS1 (or WFS2).

Similar to wafer stage WST1, wafer stage WST2 has a wafer coarsemovement stage WCS2, which is supported by levitation above base board12 by a plurality of non-contact bearings (e.g., air bearings (omittedin drawings)) provided on its bottom surface and is driven in the XYtwo-dimensional direction by a coarse movement stage drive system 51B(refer to FIG. 14), and a wafer fine movement stage WFS2, which issupported in a non-contact manner by coarse movement stage WCS2 and isrelatively movable with respect to coarse movement stage WCS2. Finemovement stage WFS2 is driven by a fine movement stage drive system 52B(refer to FIG. 14) with respect to coarse movement stage WCS2 indirections of six degrees of freedom (X, Y, Z, θx, θy, θz).

Positional information (also including rotation information in the θzdirection) in the XY plane of wafer stage WST2 (coarse movement stageWCS2) is measured by a wafer stage position measurement system 163.Further, positional information in directions of six degrees of freedom(X, Y, Z, θx, θy, and θz) of fine movement stage WFS2 (or fine movementstage WFS1) supported by coarse movement stage WCS2 in measurementstation 300 is measured by fine movement stage position measurementsystem 70B. Measurement results of wafer stage position measurementsystem 16B and fine movement stage position measurement system 70B aresupplied to main controller 20 (refer to FIG. 14) for position controlof coarse movement stage WCS2 and fine movement stage WFS2 (or WFS1).

Like coarse movement stage WCS1 and WCS2, relay stage DRST is supportedby levitation above base board 12 by a plurality of non-contact bearings(e.g., air bearings (omitted in drawings)) provided on its bottomsurface, and is driven in the XY two-dimensional direction by a relaystage drive system 53 (refer to FIG. 14).

Positional information (also including rotation information in the θzdirection) in the XY plane of relay stage DRST is measured by a positionmeasurement system (not shown) including, for example, an interferometerand/or an encoder and the like. The measurement results of the positionmeasurement system is supplied to main controller 20 (refer to FIG. 14)for position control of relay stage DRST.

When fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) is supported by coarse movementstage WCS1, relative positional information of fine movement stage WFS1(or WFS2) and coarse movement stage WCS1 in directions of three degreesof freedom, which are X, Y, and θz, can be measured by a relativeposition measuring instrument 22A (refer to FIG. 14) provided in betweencoarse movement stage WCS1 and fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2).

Similarly, when fine movement stage WFS2 (or WFS1) is supported bycoarse movement stage WCS2, relative positional information of finemovement stage WFS2 (or WFS1) and coarse movement stage WCS2 indirections of three degrees of freedom, which are X, Y, and σz, can bemeasured by a relative position measuring instrument 22B (refer to FIG.14) provided in between coarse movement stage WCS2 and fine movementstage WFS2 (or WFS1).

As relative position measuring instruments 22A and 22B, for example, anencoder can be used which includes at least two heads arranged at coarsemovement stages WCS1 and WCS2, respectively, whose area subject tomeasurement are gratings provided on fine movement stages WFS1 and WFS2,and measures a position of fine movement stages WFS1 and WFS2 in theX-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the θz direction, based onan output of the heads. Measurement results of relative positionmeasuring instruments 22A and 22B are supplied to main controller 20(refer to FIG. 14).

Configuration and the like of each of the parts configuring the stagesystem including the various measurement systems described above will beexplained in detail, later on.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, in exposure apparatus 100 of theembodiment, a movable blade BL is provided in the vicinity of projectionunit PU. Movable blade EL can be driven in the Z-axis direction and theY-axis direction by a blade drive system 58 (not shown in FIG. 4, referto FIG. 14). Movable blade EL is made of a tabular member, which has aprojecting portion formed on the upper end on the +Y side that projectsout more than the other portions.

In the embodiment, the upper surface of movable blade BL has liquidrepellency to liquid Lq. In the embodiment, movable blade BL includes ametal base material such as stainless steel and the like, and a film ofa liquid-repellent material formed on the surface of the base material.The liquid-repellent material includes, for example, PFA (Tetra fluoroethylene-perfluoro alkylvinyl ether copolymer), PTFE (Poly tetra fluoroethylene), Teflon (a registered trademark) and the like. Incidentally,the material forming the film can be an acrylic-based resin or asilicone-based resin. Further, the whole movable blade BL can be formedof at least one of the PFA, PTFE, Teflon (a registered trademark),acrylic-based resin, and silicone-based resin. In the embodiment, thecontact angle of the upper surface of movable blade BL to liquid Lq is,for example, 90 degrees or more.

Movable blade BL engages with fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2), whichis supported by coarse movement stage WCS1, from the −Y side, and asurface appearing to be completely flat (for example, refer to FIG. 22)is formed in the engaged state with the upper surface of fine movementstage WFS1 (or WFS2). Movable blade BL is driven by main controller 20via blade drive system 58, and performs delivery of a liquid immersionspace (liquid Lq) with fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2). Incidentally,the delivery of the liquid immersion space (liquid Lq) between movableblade BL and fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) will be describedfurther later on.

Moreover, in exposure apparatus 100 of the embodiment, a multiple pointfocal point position detection system (hereinafter shortly referred toas a multipoint AF system) AF (not shown in FIG. 1, refer to FIG. 14) bythe oblique incidence method having a similar configuration as the onedisclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,448,332 and the like, isarranged in the vicinity of projection unit PU. Detection signals ofmultipoint AF system AF are supplied to main controller 20 (refer toFIG. 14) via an AF signal processing system (not shown). Main controller20 detects positional information (surface position information) of thewafer W surface in the Z-axis direction at a plurality of detectionpoints of the multipoint AF system AF based on detection signals ofmultipoint AF system AF, and performs a so-called focus leveling controlof wafer W during the scanning exposure based on the detection results.Incidentally, positional information (unevenness information) of thewafer W surface can be acquired in advance at the time of waferalignment (EGA) by arranging the multipoint AF system in the vicinity ofaligner 99 (alignment systems AL1, and AL2 ₁ to AL2 ₄), the so-calledfocus leveling control of wafer W can be performed at the time ofexposure, using the surface position information and measurement valuesof a laser interferometer system 75 (refer to FIG. 14) configuring apart of fine movement stage position measurement system 70A which willbe described later on. In this case, multipoint AF system does not haveto be provided in the vicinity of projection unit PU. Incidentally,measurement values of an encoder system 73 which will be described laterconfiguring fine movement stage position measurement system 70A can alsobe used, rather than laser interferometer system 75 in focus levelingcontrol.

Further, in exposure apparatus 100 of the embodiment, as is disclosed indetail in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,646,413 and the like, a pair ofreticle alignment systems RA₁ and RA₂ (reticle alignment system RA₂ ishidden behind reticle alignment system RA₁ in the depth of the pagesurface in FIG. 1.) of an image processing method that has an imagingdevice such as a CCD and the like and uses a light (in the embodiment,illumination light IL) of the exposure wavelength as an illuminationlight for alignment is placed above reticle stage RST. The pair ofreticle alignment systems RA₁ and RA₂ is used, in a state where ameasurement plate to be described later on fine movement stage WFS1 (orWFS2) is positioned directly below projection optical system PL withmain controller 20 detecting a projection image of a pair of reticlealignment marks (omitted in drawings) formed on reticle R and acorresponding pair of first fiducial marks on the measurement plate viaprojection optical system PL, to detect a detection center of aprojection area of a pattern of reticle R and a reference position onthe measurement plate using projection optical system PL, namely todetect a positional relation with a center of the pair of first fiducialmarks. Detection signals of reticle alignment detection systems RA₁ andRA₂ are supplied to main controller 20 (refer to FIG. 14) via a signalprocessing system (not shown). Incidentally, reticle alignment systemsRA₁ and RA₂ do not have to be provided. In this case, it is desirablefor fine movement stage WFS1 to have a detection system in which a lighttransmitting section (light-receiving section) is installed so as todetect a projection image of the reticle alignment mark, as disclosedin, for example, U.S. Patent Application Publication No 2002/0041377 andthe like.

Now, a configuration and the like of each part of the stage systems willbe described in detail. First of all, wafer stages WST1 and WST2 will bedescribed. In the embodiment, wafer stage WST1 and wafer stage WST2 areconfigured identically, including the drive system, the positionmeasurement system and the like. Accordingly, in the followingdescription, wafer stage WST1 will be taken up and described,representatively.

As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, coarse movement stage WCS1 is equipped witha rectangular plate shaped coarse movement slides section 91 whoselongitudinal direction is in the X-axis direction in a planar view (whenviewing from the +Z direction), a rectangular plate shaped pair of sidewall sections 92 a and 92 b which are each fixed on the upper surface ofcoarse movement slider section 91 on one end and the other end in thelongitudinal direction in a state parallel to the YZ surface, with theY-axis direction serving as the longitudinal direction, and a pair ofstator sections 93 a and 93 b that are each fixed on the upper surfaceof side wall sections 92 a and 92 b. As a whole, coarse movement stageWCS1 has a box like shape having a low height whose upper surface in acenter in the X-axis direction and surfaces on both sides in the Y-axisdirection are open. More specifically, in coarse movement stage WCS1, aspace is formed inside penetrating in the Y-axis direction.

As shown in FIG. 5, coarse movement stage WSC1 is configured separableinto two sections, which are a first section WCS1 a and a second sectionWCS1 b, with a separation line in the center in the longitudinaldirection of coarse movement slider section 91 serving as a boundary.Accordingly, coarse movement slider section 91 is configured of a firstslider section 91 a which structures a part of the first section WCS1 a,and a second slider section 91 b which structures a part of the secondsection WCS1 b.

Inside base 12, a coil unit is housed, including a plurality of coils 14placed in the shape of a matrix with the XY two-dimensional directionserving as a row direction and a column direction, as shown in FIG. 1.

In correspondence with the coil unit, on the bottom surface of coarsemovement stage WCS1, or more specifically, on the bottom surface of thefirst slider section 91 a and the second slider section 91 b, a magnetunit is provided consisting of a plurality of permanent magnets 18placed in the shape of a matrix with the XY two-dimensional directionserving as a row direction and a column direction, as shown in FIG. 2A.The magnet unit configures coarse movement stage drive systems 51Aa and51Ab (refer to FIG. 14), consisting of a planar motor employing aLorentz electromagnetic drive method as is disclosed in, for example,U.S. Pat. No. 5,196,745, along with the coil unit of base board 12. Themagnitude and direction of current supplied to each of the coils 14configuring the coil unit are controlled by main controller 20 (refer toFIG. 14).

On the bottom surface of each of the first slider section 91 a and thesecond slider section 91 b, a plurality of air bearings 94 is fixedaround the magnet unit described above. The first section WCS1 a and thesecond section WCS1 b of coarse movement stage WCS1 are each supportedby levitation on base board 12 by a predetermined clearance, such asaround several by air bearings 94, and are driven in the X-axisdirection, the Y-axis direction, and the σz direction by coarse movementstage drive systems 51Aa and 51Ab.

The first section WCS1 a and the second section WCS1 b are normallylocked integrally, via a lock mechanism (not shown). More specifically,the first section WCS1 a and the second section WCS1 b normally operateintegrally. Therefore, in the following description, a drive systemconsisting of a planar motor that drives coarse movement stage WCS1,which is made so that the first section WCS1 a and the second sectionWCS1 b are integrally formed, will be referred to as a coarse movementstage drive system 51A (refer to FIG. 14).

Incidentally, as coarse movement stage drive system 51A, the drivemethod is not limited to the planar motor using the Lorentzelectromagnetic force drive method, and for example, a planar motor by avariable reluctance drive system can also be used. Besides this, coarsemovement stage drive system 51A can be configured by a planar motor of amagnetic levitation type. In this case, the air bearings will not haveto be arranged on the bottom surface of coarse movement slider section91.

As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the pair of stator sections 93 a and 93 bis each made of a member with a tabular outer shape, and in the inside,coil units CUa and CUb are housed consisting of a plurality of coils todrive fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2). The magnitude and direction ofcurrent supplied to each of the coils configuring coil units CUa and CUbare controlled by main controller 20 (refer to FIG. 3). Theconfiguration of coil units CUa, and CUb will be described further,later in the description. While fine movement stage WFS1 and finemovement stage WFS2 are configured and are supported and drivensimilarly in a non-contact manner by coarse movement stage WCS1 in thiscase, in the following description, fine movement stage WFS1 will betaken up and described, representatively.

As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the pair of stator sections 93 a and 93 beach have a rectangle tabular shape whose longitudinal direction is inthe Y-axis direction. Stator section 93 a has an end on the +X sidefixed to the upper surface of side wall section 92 a, and stator section93 b has an end on the −X side fixed to the upper surface of side wallsection 92 b.

As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, fine movement stage WFS1 is equipped with amain body section 81 consisting of an octagonal plate shape member whoselongitudinal direction is in the X-axis direction in a planar view, anda pair of mover sections 82 a and 82 b that are each fixed to one endand the other end of main body section 81 in the longitudinal direction.

Main body section 81 is formed of a transparent material through whichlight can pass, so that a measurement beam (a laser beam) of an encodersystem which will be described later can proceed inside the main bodysection. Further, main body section 81 is formed solid (does not haveany space inside) in order to reduce the influence of air fluctuation tothe laser beam inside the main body section. Incidentally, it ispreferable for the transparent material to have a low thermal expansionand as an example in the embodiment, synthetic quarts (glass) is used.Incidentally, main body section 81 can be structured all by thetransparent material or only the section which the measurement beam ofthe encoder system passes through can be structured by the transparentmaterial, and only the section which this measurement beam passesthrough can be formed solid.

In the center of the upper surface of main body section 81 (to be moreprecise, a cover glass which will be described later) of fine movementstage WFS1, a wafer holder (not shown) is arranged which holds wafer Wby vacuum suction or the like. In the embodiment, for example, a waferholder of a-so-called pin chuck method on which a plurality of supportsections (pin members) supporting wafer W are formed within a loopshaped projecting section (rim section) is used, and grating RG to bedescribed later is provided on the other surface (rear surface) of thewafer holder whose one surface (surface) is a wafer mounting surface.Incidentally, the wafer holder can be formed integrally with finemovement stage WFS1, or can be fixed to main body section 81, forexample, via an electrostatic chuck mechanism, a clamping mechanism, orby adhesion and the like. In the former case, grating RG is to beprovided on a back surface side of fine movement stage WFS1.

Furthermore, on the upper surface of main body section 81 on the outerside of the wafer holder (mounting area of wafer W), as shown in FIGS.2A and 2B, a plate (a liquid repellent plate) 83 is attached that has acircular opening one size larger than wafer W (the wafer holder) formedin the center, and also has an octagonal outer shape (contour)corresponding to main body section 81. A liquid repellent treatmentagainst liquid Lq is applied to the surface of plate 83 (a liquidrepellent surface is formed). Plate 83 is fixed to the upper surface ofmain body section 81, so that its entire surface (or a part of itssurface) becomes substantially flush with the surface of wafer W.Further, in plate 83, on the −Y side end of plate 83, as shown in FIG.2B, a measurement plate 86, which has a narrow rectangular shape in theX-axis direction, is set in a state where its surface is substantiallyflush with the surface of plate 83, or more specifically, the surface ofwafer W. On the surface of measurement plate 86, at least a pair offirst fiducial marks detected by each of the pair of reticle alignmentsystems RA₁ and RA₂ and a second fiducial mark detected by primaryalignment system AL1 are formed (both the first and second fiducialmarks are omitted in the drawing). Incidentally, instead of attachingplate 83 to main body section 81, for example, the wafer holder can beformed integrally with fine movement stage WFS1, and a liquid repellenttreatment can be applied to the upper surface of fine movement stageWFS1 in a periphery area (an area the same as plate 83 (can include thesurface of measurement plate 86) surrounding the wafer holder.

As shown in FIG. 2A, on the upper surface of main body section 81, atwo-dimensional grating (hereinafter merely referred to as a grating) RGis placed horizontally (parallel to the wafer W surface). Grating RG isfixed (or formed) on the upper surface of main body section 81consisting of a transparent material. Grating RG includes a reflectiondiffraction grating (X diffraction grating) whose periodic direction isin the X-axis direction and a reflection diffraction grating (Ydiffraction grating) whose periodic direction, is in the Y-axisdirection. In the embodiment, the area (hereinafter, forming area) onmain body section 81 where the two-dimensional grating is fixed orformed, as an example, is in a circular shape which is one size largerthan wafer W. Incidentally, the type of diffraction grating used forgrating RG is not limited to the diffraction grating made up of groovesor the like that are mechanically formed, and for example, can also be agrating that is created by exposing interference fringe on aphotosensitive resin.

Grating RG is covered and protected with a protective member, such as,for example, a cover glass 84. In the embodiment, on the upper surfaceof cover glass 84, the holding mechanism (electrostatic chuck mechanismand the like) previously described to hold the wafer holder by suctionis provided. Incidentally, in the embodiment, while cover glass 84 isprovided so as to cover almost the entire surface of the upper surfaceof main body section 81, cover glass 84 can be arranged so as to coveronly a part of the upper surface of main body section 81 which includesgrating RG. Further, while the protective member (cover glass 84) can beformed of the same material as main body section 81, besides this, theprotective member can be formed of, for example, metal or ceramics.Further, although a plate shaped protective member is desirable becausea sufficient thickness is required to protect grating RG, a thin filmprotective member can also be used depending on the material.

Incidentally, of the forming area of grating RG, on a surface of coverglass 84 corresponding to an area where the forming area spreads to theperiphery of the wafer holder, it is desirable, for example, to providea reflection member (e.g. a thin film and the like) which covers theforming area, so that the measurement beam of the encoder systemirradiated on grating RG does not pass through cover glass 84, or morespecifically, so that the intensity of the measurement beam does notchange greatly in the inside and the outside of the area on the rearsurface of the wafer holder.

Moreover, the other surface of the transparent plate which has gratingRG fixed or formed on one surface can be placed in contact or inproximity to the rear surface of the wafer holder and a protectivemember (cover glass 84) can also be provided on the one surface side ofthe transparent plate, or, the one surface of the transparent platewhich has grating RG fixed or formed can be placed in contact or inproximity to the rear surface of the wafer holder, without having theprotective member (cover glass 84) arranged. Especially in the formercase, grating RG can be fixed to or formed on an opaque member such asceramics instead of the transparent plate, or grating RG can be is fixedto or formed on the rear side of the wafer holder. Or, the hold waferholder and grating RG can simply be held by a conventional fine movementstage. Further, the wafer holder can be made of a solid glass member,and grating RG can be placed on the upper surface (a wafer mountingsurface) of the glass member.

As it can also be seen from FIG. 2A, main body section 81 consists of anoverall octagonal plate shape member that has an extending section whichextends outside on one end and the other end in the longitudinaldirection, and on its bottom surface, a recessed section is formed atthe section facing grating RG. Main body section 81 is formed so thatthe center area where grating RG is arranged is formed in a plate shapewhose thickness is substantially uniform.

On the upper surface of each of the extending sections on the +X sideand the −X side of main body section 81, spacers 85 a and 85 b having aprojecting shape when sectioned are provided, with each of theprojecting sections 89 a and 89 b extending outward in the Y-axisdirection.

As shown in FIGS. 2A and 25, mover section 82 a includes two plate-likemembers 82 a ₁ and 82 a ₂ having a rectangular shape in a planar viewwhose size (length) in the Y-axis direction and size (width) in theX-axis direction are both shorter than stator section 93 a (around halfthe size). The two plate-like members 82 a ₁ and 82 a ₂ are both fixedparallel to the XY plane, in a state set apart only by a predetermineddistance in the Z-axis direction (vertically), via projecting section 89a of spacer 85 a previously described, with respect to the end on the +Xside of main body section 81. In this case, the −X side end ofplate-like member 82 a ₂ is clamped by spacer 85 a and the extendingsection on the +X side of main body section 81. Between the twoplate-like members 82 a ₁ and 82 a ₂, an end on the −X side of statorsection 93 a of coarse movement stage WCS1 is inserted in a non-contactmanner. Inside plate-like members 82 a ₁ and 82 a ₂, magnet units MUa₁and MUa₂ which will be described later are housed.

Mover section 82 b includes two plate-like members 82 b ₁ and 82 b ₂maintained at a predetermined distance in the Z-axis direction(vertically), and is configured in a similar manner with mover section82 a, although being symmetrical. Between the two plate-like members 82b ₁ and 82 b ₂, an end on the +X side of stator section 93 b of coarsemovement stage WCS1 is inserted in a non-contact manner. Insideplate-like members 82 b ₁ and 82 b ₂, magnet units MUb₁ and MUb₂ arehoused, which are configured similar to magnet units MUa₁ and MUa₂.

Now, as is previously described, because the surface on both sides inthe Y-axis direction is open in coarse movement stage WCS1, whenattaching fine movement stage WFS1 to coarse movement stage WCS1, theposition of fine movement stage WFS1 in the Z-axis direction should bepositioned so that stator section 93 a, 93 b are located betweenplate-like members 82 a ₁ and 82 a ₂, and 82 b ₁ and 82 b ₂,respectively, and then fine movement stage WFS1 can be moved (slid) inthe Y-axis direction.

Next, a configuration of fine movement stage drive system 52A torelatively drive fine movement stage WFS1 with respect to coarsemovement stage WCS1 will be described.

Fine movement stage drive system 52A includes the pair of magnet unitsMUa₁ and MUa₂ that mover section 82 a previously described has, coilunit CUa that stator section 93 a has, the pair of magnet units MUb₁ andMUb₂ that mover section 82 b has, and coil unit CUb that stator section93 b has.

This will be explained further in detail. As it can be seen from FIGS.6, 7A, and 7B, at the end on the −X side inside stator section 93 a, twolines of coil rows are placed a predetermined distance apart in theX-axis direction, which are a plurality of (in this case, twelve) YZcoils (hereinafter appropriately referred to as “coils”) 55 and 57 thathave a rectangular shape in a planar view and are placed equally apartin the Y-axis direction. YZ coil 55 has an upper part winding 55 a and alower part winding 55 b in a rectangular shape in a planar view that aredisposed such that they overlap in the vertical direction (the Z-axisdirection). Further, between the two lines of coil rows described aboveinside stator section 93 a, an X coil (hereinafter shortly referred toas a “coil” as appropriate) 56 is placed, which is narrow and has arectangular shape in a planar view and whose longitudinal direction isin the Y-axis direction. In this case, the two lines of coil rows and Xcoil 56 are placed equally spaced in the X-axis direction. Coil unit CUais configured including the two lines of coil rows and X coil 56.

Incidentally, in the description below, while one of the stator sections93 a of the pair of stator sections 93 a and 93 b and mover section 82 asupported by this stator section 93 a will be described using FIGS. 6 to8C, the other (the −X side) stator section 93 b and mover section 82 bwill be structured similar to these sections and will function in asimilar manner. Accordingly, coil unit CUb, and magnet units MUb₁ andMUb₂ are structured similar to coil unit CUa, and magnet units MUa₁ andMUa₂.

Inside plate-like member 82 a ₁ on the +Z side configuring a part ofmovable section 82 a of fine movement stage WFS1, as it can be seen whenreferring to FIGS. 6, 7A, and 7B, two lines of magnet rows are placed apredetermined distance apart in the X-axis direction, which are aplurality of (in this case, ten) permanent magnets 65 a and 67 a thathave a rectangular shape in a planar view and whose longitudinaldirection is in the X-axis direction. The two lines of magnet rows areplaced facing coils 55 and 57, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 7B, the plurality of permanent magnets 65 a areconfigured such that permanent magnets whose upper surface sides (+Zsides) are N poles and the lower surface sides (−Z sides) are S polesand permanent magnets whose upper surface sides (+Z sides) are S polesand the lower surface sides (−Z sides) are N poles are arrangedalternately in the Y-axis direction. The magnet row consisting of theplurality of permanent magnets 67 a is structured similar to the magnetrow consisting of the plurality of permanent magnets 65 a.

Further, between the two lines of magnet rows described above insideplate-like member 82 a ₁, a pair (two) of permanent magnets 66 a ₁ and65 a ₂ whose longitudinal direction is in the Y-axis direction is placedset apart in the X axis direction, facing coil 56. As shown in FIG. 7A,permanent magnet 66 a ₁ is configured such that its upper surface side(+Z side) is an N pole and its lower surface side (−Z side) is an Spole, whereas with permanent magnet 66 a ₂, its upper surface side (+Zside) is an S pole and its lower surface side (−Z side) is an N pole.

Magnet unit MUa₁ is configured by the plurality of permanent magnets 65a and 67 a, and 66 a ₁ and 66 a ₂ described above.

As shown in FIG. 7A, also inside plate-like member 82 a ₂ on the −Zside, permanent magnets 65 b, 66 b ₁, 66 b ₂, and 67 b are placed in aplacement similar to plate-like member 82 a 1 on the +Z side describedabove. Magnet unit MUa2 is configured by these permanent magnets 65 b,66 b ₁, 66 b ₂, and 67 b. Incidentally, in FIG. 6, permanent magnets 65b, 66 b ₁, 66 b ₂, and 67 b inside plate-like members 82 a 2 on the −Zside are placed in the depth of the page surface, with magnets 65 a, 66a ₁, 66 a ₂, and 67 a placed on top.

Now, with fine movement stage drive system 52A, as shown in FIG. 7B,positional relation (each distance) in the Y-axis direction between theplurality of permanent magnets 65 and the plurality of YZ coils 55 isset so that when in the plurality of permanent magnets (in FIG. 7B,permanent magnets 65 a ₁ to 65 a ₅ which are sequentially arranged alongthe Y-axis direction) placed adjacently in the Y-axis direction, twoadjacent permanent magnets 65 a ₁ and 65 a ₂ each face the windingsection of YZ coil 55 ₁, then permanent magnet 65 a ₃ adjacent to thesepermanent magnets does not face the winding section of YZ coil 55 ₂adjacent to YZ coil 55 ₁ described above (so that permanent magnet 65 a₃ faces the hollow center in the center of the coil, or faces a core,such as an iron core, to which the coil is wound). Incidentally, asshown in FIG. 7B, permanent magnets 65 a ₄ and 65 a ₅ each face thewinding section of YZ coil 55 ₃, which is adjacent to YZ coil 55 ₂. Thedistance between permanent magnets 65 b, 67 a, and 67 b in the Y-axisdirection is also similar (refer to FIG. 7B).

Accordingly, in fine movement stage drive system 52A, as an example,when a clockwise electric current when viewed from the +Z direction issupplied to the upper part winding and the lower part winding of coils55 ₁ and 55 ₃, respectively, as shown in FIG. 8A in a state shown inFIG. 7B, a force (Lorentz force) in the −Y direction acts on coils 55 ₁and 55 ₃, and as a reaction force, a force in the +Y direction acts onpermanent magnets 65 a and 65 b. By these action of forces, finemovement stage WFS1 moves in the +Y direction with respect to coarsemovement stage WCS1. When a counterclockwise electric current whenviewed from the +Z direction is supplied to each of the coils 55 ₁ and55 ₃ conversely to the case described above, fine movement stage WFS1moves in the −Y direction with respect to coarse movement stage WCS1.

By supplying an electric current to coil 57, electromagnetic interactionis performed between permanent magnet 67 (67 a, 67 b) and fine movementstage WFS1 can be driven in the Y-axis direction. Main controller 20controls a position of fine movement stage WFS1 in the Y-axis directionby controlling the current supplied to each coil.

Further, in fine movement stage drive system 52A, as an example, when acounterclockwise electric current when viewed from the +Z direction issupplied to the upper part winding of coil 55 ₂ and a clockwise electriccurrent when viewed from the +Z direction is supplied to the lower partwinding as shown in FIG. 8B in a state shown in FIG. 7B, an attractionforce is generated between coil 55 ₂ and permanent magnet 65 a ₃ whereasa repulsive force (repulsion) is generated between coil 55 ₂ andpermanent magnet 65 b ₃, respectively, and by these attraction force andrepulsive force, fine movement stage WFS1 is moved downward (−Zdirection) with respect to coarse movement stage WSC1, or moreparticularly, moved in a descending direction. When a current in adirection opposite to the case described above is supplied to the upperpart winding and the lower part winding of coil 55 ₂, respectively, finemovement stage WFS1 moves upward (+Z direction) with respect to coarsemovement stage WCS1, or mare particularly, moves in an upward direction.Main controller 20 controls a position of fine movement stage WFS1 inthe Z-axis direction which is in a levitated state by controlling thecurrent supplied to each coil.

Further, in a state shown in FIG. 7A, when a clockwise electric currentwhen viewed from the +Z direction is supplied to coil 56, a force in the+X direction acts on coil 56 as shown in FIG. 8C, and as its reaction, aforce in the −X direction acts on permanent magnets 66 a ₁ and 66 a ₂,and 66 b ₁ and 66 b ₂, respectively, and fine movement stage WFS1 ismoved in the −X direction with respect to coarse movement stage WSC1.Further, when a counterclockwise electric current when viewed from the+Z direction is supplied to coil 56 conversely to the case describedabove, a force in the +X direction acts on permanent magnets 66 a ₁ and66 a ₂, and 66 b ₁ and 66 b ₂, and fine movement stage WFS1 is moved inthe +X direction with respect to coarse movement stage WCS1. Maincontroller 20 controls a position of fine movement stage WFS1 in theX-axis direction by controlling the current supplied to each coil.

As is obvious from the description above, in the embodiment, maincontroller 20 drives fine movement stage WFS1 in the Y-axis direction bysupplying an electric current alternately to the plurality of YZ coils55 and 57 that are arranged in the Y-axis direction. Further, along withthis, by supplying electric current to coils of YZ coils 55 and 57 thatare not used to drive fine movement stage WFS1 in the Y-axis direction,main controller 20 generates a drive force in the Z-axis directionseparately from the drive force in the Y-axis direction and makes finemovement stage WFS1 levitate from coarse movement stage WCS1. And, maincontroller 20 drives fine movement stage WFS1 in the Y-axis directionwhile maintaining the levitated state of fine movement stage WFS1 withrespect to coarse movement stage WCS1, namely a noncontact state, bysequentially switching the coil subject to current supply according tothe position of fine movement stage WFS1 in the Y-axis direction.Further, main controller 20 can also drive fine movement stage WFS1independently in the X-axis direction along with the Y-axis direction,in a state where fine movement stage WFS1 is levitated from coarsemovement stage WCS1.

Further, as shown in FIG. 9A, for example, main controller 20 can makefine movement stage WFS1 rotate around the Z-axis (θz rotation) (referto the outlined arrow in FIG. 9A), by applying a drive force (thrust) inthe Y-axis direction having a different magnitude to both mover section82 a on the +X side and mover section 82 b on the −X side of finemovement stage WFS1 (refer to the black arrow in FIG. 9A). Incidentally,in contrast with FIG. 9A, by making the drive force applied to moversection 82 a on the +X side larger than the −X side, fine movement stageWFS1 can be made to rotate counterclockwise with respect to the Z-axis.

Further, as shown in FIG. 9B, main controller 20 can make fine movementstage WFS1 rotate around the Y-axis (θy drive) (refer to the outlinedarrow in FIG. 9B), by applying a different levitation force (refer tothe black arrows in FIG. 93) to both mover section 82 a on the +X sideand mover section 82 b on the −X side of fine movement stage WFS1.Incidentally, in contrast with FIG. 9B, by making the levitation forceapplied to mover section 82 a on the +X side larger than the −X side,fine movement stage WFS1 can be made to rotate counterclockwise withrespect to the Y-axis.

Further, as shown in FIG. 9C, for example, main controller 20 can makefine movement stage WFS1 rotate around the X-axis (θx drive) (refer tothe outlined arrow in FIG. 9C), by applying a different levitation forceto both mover sections 82 a and 82 b of fine movement stage WFS1 onthe + side and the − side in the Y-axis direction (refer to the blackarrow in FIG. 9C). Incidentally, in contrast with FIG. 9C, by making thelevitation force applied to mover section 82 a (and 82 b) on the −Y sidesmaller than the levitation force on the +Y side, fine movement stageWFS1 can be made to rotate counterclockwise with respect to the X-axis.

As it can be seen from the description above, in the embodiment, finemovement stage drive system 52A supports fine movement stage WFS1 bylevitation in a non-contact state with respect to coarse movement stageWCS1, and can also drive fine movement stage WFS1 in a non-contactmanner in directions of six degrees of freedom (X, Y, Z, θx, θy, θz)with respect to coarse movement stage WCS1.

Further, in the embodiment, by supplying electric current to the twolines of coils 55 and 57 (refer to FIG. 6) placed inside stator section93 a in directions opposite to each other when applying the levitationforce to fine movement stage WFS1, for example, main controller 20 canapply a rotational force (refer to the outlined arrow in FIG. 10) aroundthe Y-axis simultaneously with the levitation force (refer to the blackarrow in FIG. 10) with respect to mover section 82 a, as shown in FIG.10. Further, by applying a rotational force around the Y-axis to each ofthe pair of mover sections 82 a and 82 b in directions opposite to eachother, main controller 20 can deflect the center of fine movement stageWFS1 in the +Z direction or the −Z direction (refer to the hatched arrowin FIG. 10). Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 10, by bending the center offine movement stage WFS1 in the +Z direction, the deflection in themiddle part of fine movement stage WFS1 (main body section 81) in theX-axis direction due to the self-weight of wafer W and main body section81 can be canceled out, and degree of parallelization of the wafer Wsurface with respect to the ICY plane (horizontal surface) can besecured. This is particularly effective, in the case such as when thediameter of wafer W becomes large and fine movement stage WFS1 alsobecomes large.

Further, when wafer W is deformed by its own weight and the like, thereis a risk that the surface of wafer W mounted on fine movement stageWFS1 will no longer be within the range of the depth of focus ofprojection optical system PL within the irradiation area (exposure areaIA) of illumination light IL. Therefore, similar to the case describedabove where main controller 20 deflects the center in the X-axisdirection of fine movement stage WFS1 to the +Z direction, by applying arotational force around the Y-axis to each of the pair of mover sections82 a and 82 b in directions opposite to each other, wafer W is deformedto be substantially flat, and the surface of wafer W within exposurearea IA can fall within the range of the depth of focus of projectionoptical system PL. Incidentally, while FIG. 10 shows an example wherefine movement stage WFS1 is bent in the +Z direction (a convex shape),fine movement stage WFS1 can also be bent in a direction opposite tothis (a concave shape) by controlling the direction of the electriccurrent supplied to the coils.

Incidentally, the method of making fine movement stage WFS1 (and wafer Wheld by this stage) deform in a concave shape or a convex shape within asurface (XZ plane) perpendicular to the Y-axis can be applied, not onlyin the case of correcting deflection caused by its own weight and/orfocus leveling control, but also in the case of employing asuper-resolution technology which substantially increases the depth offocus by changing the position in the Z-axis direction at apredetermined point within the range of the depth of focus, while thepredetermined point within the shot area of wafer W crosses exposurearea IA.

In exposure apparatus 100 of the embodiment, at the time of exposureoperation by the step-and-scan method to wafer W, positional information(including the positional information in the θz direction) in the XYplane of fine movement stage WFS1 is measured by main controller 20using an encoder system 73 (refer to FIG. 14) of fine movement stageposition measurement system 70A which will be described later on. Thepositional information of fine movement stage WFS1 is sent to maincontroller 20, which controls the position of fine movement stage WFS1based on the positional information.

On the other hand, when wafer stage WST1 (fine movement stage WFS1) islocated outside the measurement area of fine movement stage positionmeasurement system 70A, the positional information of wafer stage WST1(fine movement stage WFS1) is measured by main controller 20 using waferstage position measurement system 16A (refer to FIGS. 1 and 14). Asshown in FIG. 1, wafer stage position measurement system 16A includes alaser interferometer which irradiates a measurement beam on a reflectionsurface formed on the coarse movement stage WCS1 side surface bymirror-polishing and measures positional information of wafer stage WST1in the XY plane. Incidentally, although illustration is omitted in FIG.1, in actual practice, a Y reflection surface perpendicular to theY-axis and an X reflection surface perpendicular to the X-axis is formedon coarse movement stage WCS1, and corresponding to these surfaces, an Xinterferometer and a Y interferometer are provided which irradiatemeasurement beams, respectively, on to the X reflection surface and theY reflection surface. Incidentally, in wafer stage position measurementsystem 16A, for example, the Y interferometer has a plurality ofmeasurement axes, and positional information (rotation) in the θzdirection of wafer stage WST1 can also be measured, based on an outputof each of the measurement axes. Incidentally, the positionalinformation of wafer stage WST1 in the XY plane can be measured usingother measurement devices, such as for example, an encoder system,instead of wafer stage position measurement system 16A described above.In this case, for example, a two-dimensional scale can be placed on theupper surface of base board 12, and an encoder head can be arranged onthe bottom surface of coarse movement stage WCS1.

As is previously described, fine movement stage WFS2 is configuredidentical to fine movement stage WFS1 described above, and can besupported in a non-contact manner by coarse movement stage WCS1 insteadof fine movement stage WFS1. In this case, coarse movement stage WCS1and fine movement stage WFS2 supported by coarse movement stage WCS1configure wafer stage WST1, and a pair of mover sections (one pair eachof magnet units MUa₁ and MUa₂, and MUb₁ and MUb₂) equipped in finemovement stage WFS2 and a pair of stator sections 93 a and 93 b (coilunits CUa and CUb) of coarse movement stage WCS1 configure fine movementstage drive system 52A. And by this fine movement stage drive system52A, fine movement stage WFS2 is driven in a non-contact manner indirections of six degrees of freedom with respect to coarse movementstage WCS1.

Further, fine movement stages WFS2 and WFS1 can each make coarsemovement stage WCS2 support them in a non-contact manner, and coarsemovement stage WCS2 and fine movement stage WFS2 or WFS1 supported bycoarse movement stage WCS2 configure wafer stage WST2. In this case, apair of mover sections (one pair each of magnet units MUa₁ and MUa₂, andMUb₁ and MUb₂) equipped in fine movement stage WFS2 or WFS1 and a pairof stator sections 93 a and 93 b (coil units CUa and CUb) of coarsemovement stage WCS2 configure fine movement stage drive system 52B(refer to FIG. 14). And by this fine movement stage drive system 52B,fine movement stage WFS2 or WFS1 is driven in a non-contact manner indirections of six degrees of freedom with respect to coarse movementstage WCS2.

Referring back to FIG. 1, relay stage DRST is equipped with a stage mainsection 44 configured similar to coarse movement stages WCS1 and WCS2(however, it is not structured so that it can be divided into a firstsection and a second section), and a carrier apparatus 46 (refer to FIG.14) provided inside stage main section 44. Accordingly, stage mainsection 44 can support (hold) fine movement stage WFS1 or WFS2 in anon-contact manner as in coarse movement stages WCS1 and WCS2, and thefine movement stage supported by relay stage DRST can be driven indirections of six degrees of freedom (X, Y, Z, θx, θy, and θz) by finemovement stage drive system 52C (refer to FIG. 14) with respect to relaystage DRST. However, the fine movement stage should be slidable at leastin the Y-axis direction with respect to relay stage DRST.

Carrier apparatus 46 is equipped with a carrier member main sectionwhich is reciprocally movable in the Y-axis direction with apredetermined stroke along both of the side walls in the X-axisdirection of stage main section 44 of relay stage DRST and is verticallymovable also in the Z-axis direction with a predetermined stroke, acarrier member 48 including a movable member which can relatively movein the Y-axis direction with respect to the carrier member main sectionwhile holding fine movement stage WFS1 or WFS2, and a carrier memberdrive system 54 (refer to FIG. 14) which can individually drive thecarrier member main section configuring carrier member 48 and themovable member.

Next, a concrete configuration and the like of aligner 99 shown in FIG.1 will be described, referring to FIG. 11.

FIG. 11 shows a perspective view of aligner 99 in a state where mainframe BD is partially broken. As described above, aligner 99 is equippedwith primary alignment system AL1 and four secondary alignment systemsAL2 ₁, AL2 ₂, AL2 ₃, and AL2 ₄. The pair of secondary alignment systemsAL2 ₁ and AL2 ₂ placed on the +X side of primary alignment system AL1and the pair of secondary alignment systems AL2 ₃ and AL2 ₄ placed onthe −X side have a symmetric configuration centered on primary alignmentsystem AL1. Further, as is disclosed in, for example, PCT InternationalPublication No. 2008/056735 (the corresponding U.S. Patent ApplicationPublication No. 2009/0233234), secondary alignment systems AL21 to AL24are independently movable by a drive system which includes a slider, adrive mechanism and the like that will be described later on.

Primary alignment system AL1 is supported via a support member 202, in asuspended state at the lower surface of main frame BD. As primaryalignment system AL1, for example, an FIA (Field Image Alignment) systemby an image processing method is used that irradiates a broadbanddetection beam that does not expose the resist on a wafer to a subjectmark, and picks up an image of the subject mark formed on alight-receiving plane by the reflected light from the subject mark andan image of an index (an index pattern on an index plate arranged withineach alignment system) (not shown), using an imaging device (such asCCD), and then outputs their imaging signals. The imaging signals fromthis primary alignment system AL1 are supplied to main controller 20(refer to FIG. 14).

Sliders SL1 and SL2 are fixed to the upper surface of secondaryalignment systems AL2 ₁ and AL2 ₂, respectively. On the +Z side ofsliders SL1 and SL2, an FIA surface plate 302 is provided fixed to thelower surface of main frame BD. Further, sliders SL3 and SL4 are fixedto the upper surface of secondary alignment systems AL2 ₃ and AL2 ₄,respectively. On the +Z side of sliders SL3 and SL4, an FIA surfaceplate 102 is provided fixed to the lower surface of main frame BD.

Secondary alignment system AL2 ₄ is an FIA system like primary alignmentsystem AL1, and includes a roughly L-shaped barrel 109 in which anoptical member such as a lens has been arranged. On the upper surface (asurface on the +Z side) of the portion extending in the Y-axis directionof barrel 109, slider SL4 previously described is fixed, and this sliderSL4 is arranged facing FIA surface plate 102 previously described.

FIA surface plate 102 is made of a member (e.g., Invar and the like)which is a magnetic material also having a low thermal expansion, and anarmature unit including a plurality of armature coils are arranged in apart of the plate (near the end on the +Y side). As an example, thearmature unit includes two Y drive coils and a pair of X drive coilgroups. Further, in the inside of FIA surface plate 102, a liquid flowchannel (not shown) is formed, and by the cooling liquid which flowsthrough the flow channel, the temperature of FIA surface plate 102 iscontrolled (cooled) to a predetermined temperature.

Slider SL4 includes a slider main section, a plurality of static gasbearings provided in the slider main section, a plurality of permanentmagnets, and a magnet unit. As the static gas bearings, a static gasbearing of a so-called ground gas supply type is used that supplies gasvia a gas flow channel within FIA surface plate 102. The plurality ofpermanent magnets face FIA surface plate 102 made of the magneticmaterial previously described, and a magnetic attraction acts constantlybetween the plurality of permanent magnets and FIA surface plate 102.Accordingly, while gas is not supplied to the plurality of static gasbearings, slider SL4 moves closest to (is in contact with) the lowersurface of FIA surface plate 102 by a magnetic attraction. When gas issupplied to the plurality of static gas bearings, a repulsion occursbetween FIA surface plate 102 and slider SL4 due to static pressure ofthe gas. By a balance between the magnetic attraction and the staticpressure (repulsion) of the gas, slider SL4 is maintained (held) in astate where a predetermined clearance is formed between the uppersurface of the slider and the lower surface of FIA surface plate 102.Hereinafter, the former is referred to as a “landed state”, and thelatter will be referred to as a “floating state”.

The magnet unit is provided corresponding to the armature unitpreviously described, and in the embodiment, by an electromagneticinteraction between the magnet unit and the armature unit (the two Ydrive coils and the pair of X drive coil groups), a drive force in theX-axis direction, a drive force in the Y-axis direction, and a driveforce in a rotational (θz) direction around the Z-axis can be applied toslider SL4. Incidentally, in the description below, a drive mechanism(an actuator) configured by the magnet unit and the armature unitdescribed above will be referred to as an “alignment system motor”.

Secondary alignment system AL2 ₃ placed on the +X side of secondaryalignment system AL2 ₄ is configured in a similar manner as secondaryalignment system AL2 ₄ described above, and slider SL3 is alsostructured almost the same as slider SL4. Further, between slider SL3and FIA surface plate 102, a drive mechanism (an alignment system motor)as in the drive mechanism previously described is provided.

When driving (adjusting the position of) secondary alignment systems AL2₄ and AL2 ₃, main controller 20 supplies gas to the static gas bearingspreviously described, and by forming a predetermined clearance betweensliders SL4 and SL3 and FIA surface plate 102, makes sliders SL4 and SL3move into the floating state described above. Then, by controlling theelectric current supplied to the armature unit configuring each of thealignment system motors based on the measurement values of themeasurement devices (not shown in a state maintaining the floatingstate, main controller 20 finely drives slider SL4 (secondary alignmentsystem AL2 ₄) and slider SL3 (secondary alignment system AL2 ₃) in theX-axis, the Y-axis and the θz directions.

Referring back to FIG. 11, secondary alignment systems AL2 ₁ and AL2 ₂also have a configuration like secondary alignment systems AL2 ₃ and AL2₄ described above, while slider SL2 has a configuration in symmetry withslider SL3 described above, and slider SL1 has a configuration insymmetry with slider SL4 described above. Further, the configuration ofFIA surface plate 302 is in symmetry with the configuration of FIAsurface plate 102 described above.

Next, a configuration of fine movement stage position measurement system70A (refer to FIG. 14) used to measure the positional information offine movement stage WFS1 or WFS2 (configuring wafer stage WST1), whichis movably held by coarse movement stage WCS1 in exposure station 200,will be described. In this case, the case will be described where finemovement stage position measurement system 70A measures the positionalinformation of fine movement stage WFS1.

As shown in FIG. 1, fine movement stage position measurement system 70Ais equipped with an arm member (a measurement arm 71A) which is insertedin a space inside coarse movement stage WCS1 in a state where waferstage WST1 is placed below projection optical system PL. Measurement arm71A is supported in a cantilevered state (the vicinity of one end issupported) by main frame BD of exposure apparatus 100 via a supportmember 72A. Accordingly, measurement arm 71A is inserted from the −Yside into the space within coarse movement stage WCS1 with the movementof coarse movement stage WCS1. Incidentally, in the case a configurationis employed where the arm member does not interfere with the movement ofthe wafer stage, the configuration is not limited to the cantileversupport, and both ends in the longitudinal direction can be supported.Further, the arm member should be located further below (the −Z side)grating RG (the placement plane substantially parallel to the XY plane)previously described, and for example, can be placed lower than theupper surface of base board 12. Furthermore, while the arm member was tobe supported by main frame BD, for example, the arm member can beinstalled on an installation surface (such as a floor surface) via avibration isolation mechanism. In this case, it is desirable to arrangea measuring device which measures a relative positional relation betweenmain frame BD and the arm member. The arm member can also be referred toas a metrology arm or a measurement member.

Measurement arm 71A is a square column shaped (that is, a rectangularsolid shape) member having a longitudinal rectangular cross sectionwhose longitudinal direction is in the Y-axis direction and size in aheight direction (the Z-axis direction) is larger than the size in awidth direction (the X-axis direction), and is made of a material whichis the same that transmits light, such as, for example, a glass memberaffixed in plurals. Measurement arm 71A is formed solid, except for theportion where the encoder head (an optical system) which will bedescribed later is housed. In the state where wafer stage WST1 is placedbelow projection optical system PL as previously described, the tip ofmeasurement arm 71A is inserted into the space of coarse movement stageWCS1, and its upper surface faces the lower surface (to be more precise,the lower surface of main body section 81 (not shown in FIG. 1, refer toFIG. 2A) of fine movement stage WFS1 as shown in FIG. 1. The uppersurface of measurement arm 71A is placed almost parallel with the lowersurface of fine movement stage WFS1, in a state where a predeterminedclearance, such as, for example, around several mm, is formed with thelower surface of fine movement stage WFS1. Incidentally, the clearancebetween the upper surface of measurement arm 71A and the lower surfaceof fine movement stage WFS can be more than or less than several mm.

As shown in FIG. 14, fine movement stage position measurement system 70Ais equipped with encoder system 73 which measures the position of finemovement stage WFS1 in the X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, andthe θz direction, and laser interferometer system 75 which measures theposition of fine movement stage WFS1 in the Z-axis direction, the exdirection, and the θy direction. Encoder system 73 includes an X linearencoder 73 x measuring the position of fine movement stage WFS1 in theX-axis direction, and a pair of Y linear encoders 73 ya and 73 yb(hereinafter, also appropriately referred to together as Y linearencoder 73 y) measuring the position of fine movement stage WFS1 in theY-axis direction. In encoder system 73, a head of a diffractioninterference type is used that has a configuration similar to an encoderhead (hereinafter shortly referred to as a head) disclosed in, forexample, U.S. Pat. No. 7,238,931, and PCT International Publication No.2007/083758 (the corresponding U.S. Patent Application Publication No.2007/0288121). However, in the embodiment, a light source and aphotodetection system (including a photodetector) of the head are placedexternal to measurement arm 71A as in the description later on, and onlyan optical system is placed inside measurement arm 71A, or morespecifically, facing grating RG. Hereinafter, the optical system placedinside measurement arm 71A will be referred to as a head, besides thecase when specifying is especially necessary.

Encoder system 73 measures the position of fine movement stage WFS1 inthe X-axis direction using one X head 77 x (refer to FIGS. 12A and 12B),and the position in the Y-axis direction using a pair of Y heads 77 yaand 77 yb (refer to FIG. 12B). More specifically, X linear encoder 73 xpreviously described is configured by X head 77 x which measures theposition of fine movement stage WFS1 in the X-axis direction using an Xdiffraction grating of grating RG, and the pair of Y linear encoders 73ya and 73 yb is configured by the pair of Y heads 77 ya and 77 yb whichmeasures the position of fine movement stage WFS1 in the Y-axisdirection using a Y diffraction grating of grating RG.

A configuration of three heads 77 x, 77 ya, and 77 yb which configuresencoder system 73 will now be described. FIG. 12A representatively showsa rough configuration of X head 77 x, which represents three heads 77 x,77 ya, and 77 yb. Further, FIG. 12B shows a placement of each of the Xhead 77 x, and Y heads 77 ya and 77 yb within measurement arm 71A.

As shown in FIG. 12A, X head 77 x is equipped with a polarization beamsplitter PBS whose separation plane is parallel to the YZ plane, a pairof reflection mirrors R1 a and R1 b, lenses L2 a and L2 b, quarterwavelength plates (hereinafter, described as λ/4 plates) WP1 a and WP1b, refection mirrors R2 a and R2 b, and refection mirrors R3 a and R3 band the like, and these optical elements are placed in a predeterminedpositional relation. Y heads 77 ya and 77 yb also have an optical systemwith a similar structure. As shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B, X head 77 x, Yheads 77 ya and 77 yb are unitized and each fixed inside of measurementarm 71A.

As shown in FIG. 12B, in X head 77 x (X linear encoder 73 x), a laserbeam LBx₀ is emitted in the −Z direction from a light source LDxprovided on the upper surface (or above) at the end on the −Y side ofmeasurement arm 71A, and its optical path is bent to become parallelwith the Y-axis direction via a reflection surface RP which is providedon a part of measurement arm 71A inclined at an angle of 45 degrees withrespect to the XY plane. This laser beam LBx₀ travels through the solidsection inside measurement arm 71A in parallel with the longitudinaldirection (the Y-axis direction) of measurement arm 71A, and reachesreflection mirror R3 a shown in FIG. 12A. Then, the optical path oflaser beam LBx₀ is bent by reflection mirror R3 a and is incident onpolarization beam splitter PBS. Laser beam LBx₀ is split by polarizationby polarization beam splitter PBS into two measurement beams LBx₁ andLBx₂. Measurement beam LBx₁ having been transmitted through polarizationbeam splitter PBS reaches grating RG formed on fine movement stage WFS1,via reflection mirror R1 a, and measurement beam LBx₂ reflected offpolarization beam splitter PBS reaches grating RG via reflection mirrorR1 b. Incidentally, “split by polarization” in this case means thesplitting of an incident beam into a P-polarization component and anS-polarization component.

Predetermined-order diffraction beams that are generated from grating RGdue to irradiation of measurement beams LBx₁ and LBx₂, such as, forexample, the first-order diffraction beams are severally converted intoa circular polarized light by λ/4 plates WP1 a and WP1 b via lenses L2 aand L2 b, and reflected by reflection mirrors R2 a and R2 b and then thebeams pass through λ/4 plates WP1 a and WP1 b again and reachpolarization beam splitter PBS by tracing the same optical path in thereversed direction.

Bach of the polarization directions of the two first-order diffractionbeams that have reached polarization beam splitter PBS is rotated at anangle of 90 degrees with respect to the original direction. Therefore,the first-order diffraction beam of measurement beam LBx₁ having passedthrough polarization beam splitter PBS first, is reflected offpolarization beam splitter PBS. The first-order diffraction beam ofmeasurement beam LBx₂ having been reflected off polarization beamsplitter PBS first, passes through polarization beam splitter PBS.Accordingly, the first-order diffraction beams of each of themeasurement beams LBx₁ and LBx₂ are coaxially synthesized as a syntheticbeam LBx₁₂. Synthetic beam LBx₁₂ has its optical path bent by reflectionmirror R3 b so it becomes parallel to the Y-axis, travels insidemeasurement arm 71A parallel to the Y-axis, and then is sent to an Xphotodetection system 74 x provided on the upper surface (or above) atthe end on the −Y side of measurement arm 71A shown in FIG. 12B viareflection surface RP previously described.

In X photodetection system 74 x, the polarization direction of thefirst-order diffraction beams of beams LBx₁ and LBx₂ synthesized assynthetic beam LBx₁₂ is arranged by a polarizer (analyzer) (not shown)and the beams overlay each other so as to form an interference light,which is detected by the photodetector and is converted into an electricsignal in accordance with the intensity of the interference light. Whenfine movement stage WFS1 moves in the measurement direction (in thiscase, the X-axis direction) here, a phase difference between the twobeams changes, which changes the intensity of the interference light.This change of the intensity of the interference light is supplied tomain controller 20 (refer to FIG. 14) as positional information relatedto the X-axis direction of fine movement stage WFS1.

As shown in FIG. 12B, laser beams LBya₀ and LByb₀, which are emittedfrom light sources LDya and LDyb, respectively, and whose optical pathsare bent by an angle of 90 degrees so as to become parallel to theY-axis by reflection surface RP previously described, are incident on Yheads 77 ya and 77 yb, and similar to the previous description,synthetic beams LBya₁₂ and LByb₁₂ of the first-order diffraction beamsby grating RG (Y diffraction grating) of each of the measurement beamssplit by polarization by the polarization beam splitter are output fromY heads 77 ya and 77 yb, respectively, and return to Y photodetectionsystems 74 ya and 74 yb. Now, laser beams LBya₀ and LByb₀ emitted fromlight sources LDya and LDyb, and synthetic beams LBya₁₂ and LByb₁₂returning to Y photodetection systems 74 ya and 74 yb, each pass anoptical path which are overlaid in a direction perpendicular to the pagesurface of FIG. 12B. Further, as described above, in Y heads 77 ya and77 yb, optical paths are appropriately bent (omitted in drawings) insideso that laser beams LBya₀ and LByb₀ irradiated from the light source andsynthetic beams LBya₁₂ and LByb₁₂ returning to Y photodetection systems74 ya and 74 yb pass optical paths which are parallel and distancedapart in the Z-axis direction.

FIG. 13A shows a tip of measurement arm 71A in a perspective view, andFIG. 135 shows an upper surface of the tip of measurement arm 71A in aplanar view when viewed from the +Z direction. As shown in FIGS. 13A and13B, X head 77 x irradiates measurement beams LBx₁ and LBx₂ (indicatedby a solid line in FIG. 13A) from two points (refer to the white circlesin FIG. 13B) on a straight line LX parallel to the X-axis that are at anequal distance from a center line CL (a straight line parallel to theY-axis which passes through a midpoint of the X-axis direction) ofmeasurement arm 71A, on the same irradiation point on grating RG. Theirradiation point of measurement beams LBx₁ and LBx₂, that is, adetection point of X head 77 x (refer to reference code DP in FIG. 13B)coincides with an exposure position which is the center of anirradiation area (exposure area) IA of illumination light IL irradiatedon wafer W (refer to FIG. 1). Incidentally, while measurement beams LBx₁and LBx₂ are actually refracted at a boundary and the like of main bodysection 81 and an atmospheric layer, it is shown simplified in FIG. 12Aand the like.

As shown in FIG. 12B, each of the pair of Y heads 77 ya and 77 yb areplaced on the +X side and the −X side of center line CL of measurementarm 71A. As shown in FIGS. 14A and 14B, Y head 77 ya irradiatesmeasurement beams LBya₁ and LBya₂ that are each shown by a broken linein FIG. 14A on a common irradiation point on grating RG from two points(refer to the white circles in FIG. 14B) which are distanced equallyfrom straight line LX on a straight line LYa which is parallel to theY-axis. The irradiation point of measurement beams LBya₁ and LBya₂, thatis, a detection point of Y head 77 ya is shown by reference code DPya inFIG. 13B.

Y head 77 yb irradiates measurement beams LByb₁ and LByb₂ from twopoints (refer to the white circles in FIG. 13B) which are symmetrical tothe two outgoing points of measurement beams LBya₁ and LBya₂ withrespect to center line CL, on a common irradiation point DPyb on gratingRG. As shown in FIG. 13B, detection points DPya and DPyb of Y heads 77ya and 77 yb, respectively, are placed on straight line LX which isparallel to the X-axis.

Now, main controller 20 determines the position of fine movement stageWFS1 in the Y-axis direction, based on an average of the measurementvalues of the two Y heads 77 ya and 77 yb. Accordingly, in theembodiment, the position of fine movement stage WFS1 in the Y-axisdirection is measured with a midpoint DP of detection points DPya andDPyb serving as a substantial measurement point. Midpoint DP coincideswith the irradiation point of measurement beams LBx₁ and LBx₂ on gratingRG.

More specifically, in the embodiment, there is a common detection pointregarding measurement of positional information of fine movement stageWFS1 in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, and thisdetection point coincides with the exposure position, which is thecenter of irradiation area (exposure area) IA of illumination light ILirradiated on wafer W. Accordingly, in the embodiment, by using encodersystem 73, main controller 20 can constantly perform measurement of thepositional information of fine movement stage WFS1 in the XY plane,directly under (at the back side of fine movement stage WFS1) theexposure position when transferring a pattern of reticle R on apredetermined shot area of wafer W mounted on fine movement stage WFS1.Further, main controller 20 measures a rotational amount of finemovement stage WFS1 in the θz direction, based on a difference of themeasurement values of the pair of Y heads 77 ya and 77 yb.

As shown in FIG. 13A, laser interferometer system 75 makes threemeasurement beams LBz₁, LBz₂, and LBz₃ enter the lower surface of finemovement stage WFS1 from the tip of measurement arm 71A. Laserinterferometer system 75 is equipped with three laser interferometers 75a to 75 c (refer to FIG. 14) that irradiate three measurement beamsLBz₁, LBz₂, and LBz₃, respectively.

In laser interferometer system 75, as shown in FIGS. 13A and 13B, threemeasurement beams LBz₁, LBz₂, and LBz₃ are each emitted in parallel tothe Z-axis, from three points (three points that are not collinear onthe upper surface of measurement arm 71A) which correspond to each apexof an isosceles triangle (or an equilateral triangle) whose centroidcoincides with the exposure area which is the center of irradiation area(exposure area) IA. In this case, the outgoing point (irradiation point)of measurement beam LBz₃ is located on center line CL, and the outgoingpoints (irradiation points) of the remaining measurement beams LBz₁ andLBz₂ are equidistant from center line CL. In the embodiment, maincontroller 20 measures the position in the Z-axis direction, therotational amount in the θz direction and the θy direction of finemovement stage WFS1, using laser interferometer system 75. Incidentally,laser interferometers 75 a to 75 c are provided on the upper surface (orabove) at the end on the −Y side of measurement arm 71A. Measurementbeams LBz₁, LBz₂, and LBz₃ emitted in the −Z direction from laserinterferometers 75 a to 75 c travel within measurement arm 71A along theY-axis direction via reflection surface RP1 previously described, andeach of their optical paths is bent so that the beams are emitted fromthe three points described above.

In the embodiment, on the lower surface of fine movement stage WFS1, awavelength selection filter (omitted in drawings) which transmits eachmeasurement beam from encoder system 73 and blocks the transmission ofeach measurement beam from laser interferometer system 75 is provided.In this case, the wavelength selection filter also serves as areflection surface of each of the measurement beams from laserinterferometer system 75. As the wavelength selection filter, a thinfilm and the like having wavelength-selectivity is used, and in theembodiment, the filter is provided, for example, on one surface of thetransparent plate (main body section 81), and grating RG is placed onthe wafer holder side with respect to the one surface.

As it can be seen from the description so far, main controller 20 canmeasure the position of fine movement stage WFS1 in directions of sixdegrees of freedom by using encoder system 73 and laser interferometersystem 75 of fine movement stage position measurement system 70A. Inthis case, since the optical path lengths of the measurement beams areextremely short and also are almost equal to each other in encodersystem 73, the influence of air fluctuation can mostly be ignored.Accordingly, by encoder system 73, positional information (including theθz direction) of fine movement stage WFS1 within the XY plane can bemeasured with high accuracy. Further, because the substantial detectionpoints on the grating in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis directionby encoder system 73 and detection points on the lower surface of finemovement stage WFS1 lower surface in the Z-axis direction by laserinterferometer system 75 coincide with the center (exposure position) ofexposure area IA, respectively, generation, of the so-called Abbe erroris suppressed to a substantially ignorable degree. Accordingly, by usingfine movement stage position measurement system 70A, main controller 20can measure the position of fine movement stage WFS1 in the X-axisdirection, the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction with highprecision, without any Abbe errors. Further, in the case coarse movementstage WCS1 is below projection unit PU and fine movement stage WFS2 ismovably supported by coarse movement stage WCS1, by using fine movementstage position measurement system 70A, main controller 20 can measurethe position in directions of six degrees of freedom of fine movementstage WFS2 and especially the position of fine movement stage WFS2 inthe X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction canbe measured with high precision, without any Abbe errors.

Further, fine movement stage position measurement system 70B whichmeasurement station 300 is equipped with, is configured similar to finemovement stage position measurement system 70A, but in a symmetricmanner, as shown in FIG. 1. Accordingly, measurement arm 71B which finemovement stage position measurement system 70B is equipped with has alongitudinal direction in the Y-axis direction, and the vicinity of theend on the +Y side is supported almost cantilevered from main frame BD,via support member 72B. Measurement arm 71B is inserted from the +Y sideinto the space within coarse movement stage WCS2 with the movement ofcoarse movement stage WCS2.

In the case coarse movement stage WCS2 is below aligner 99 and finemovement stage WFS2 or WFS1 is movably supported by coarse movementstage WCS2, by using fine movement stage position measurement system70B, main controller 20 can measure the position in directions of sixdegrees of freedom of fine movement stage WFS2 (or WFS1) and especiallythe position of fine movement stage WFS2 (or WFS1) in the X-axisdirection, the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction can bemeasured with high precision, without any Abbe errors.

FIG. 14 shows a block diagram showing an input/output relation of maincontroller 20, which centrally configures a control system of exposureapparatus 100 and has overall control over each part. Main controller 20includes a workstation (or a microcomputer) and the like, and hasoverall control over each part of exposure apparatus 100, such as localliquid immersion device 8, coarse movement stage drive systems 51A and51B, fine movement stage drive systems 52A and 52B, and relay stagedrive system 53 and the like previously described.

In exposure apparatus 100 of the embodiment structured in the mannerdescribed above, when manufacturing a device, exposure by thestep-and-scan method is performed on wafer W held by one of the finemovement stages (in this case, WFS1, as an example) held by coarsemovement stage WCS1 located in exposure station 200, and a pattern ofreticle R is transferred on each of a plurality of shot areas on waferW. The exposure operation by this step- and scan method is performed bymain controller 20, by repeating a movement operation between shots inwhich wafer stage WST1 is moved to a scanning starting position (anacceleration starting position) for exposure of each shot area on waferW, and a scanning exposure operation in which a pattern formed onreticle R is transferred onto each of the shot areas by the scanningexposure method, based on results of wafer alignment (for example,information on array coordinates of each shot area on wafer W obtainedby enhanced global alignment (EGA) that has been converted into acoordinate which uses the second fiducial marks as a reference) that hasbeen performed beforehand, and results of reticle alignment and thelike. Incidentally, the exposure operation described above is performed,in a state where liquid Lq is held in a space between tip lens 191 andwafer W, or more specifically, by liquid immersion exposure. Further,exposure is performed in the following order, from the shot area locatedon the +Y side on wafer W to the shot area located on the −Y side.Incidentally, details on EGA are disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat.No. 4,780,617 and the like.

In exposure apparatus 100 of the embodiment, during the series ofexposure operations described above, main controller 20 measures theposition of fine movement stage WFS1 (wafer N) using fine movement stageposition measurement system 70A, and the position of wafer W iscontrolled based on the measurement results.

Incidentally, while wafer W has to be driven with high acceleration inthe Y-axis direction at the time of scanning exposure operationdescribed above, in exposure apparatus 100 of the embodiment, maincontroller 20 scans wafer W in the Y-axis direction by driving (refer tothe black arrow in FIG. 15A) only fine movement stage WFS1 in the Y-axisdirection (and in directions of the other five degrees of freedom, ifnecessary), without driving coarse movement stage WCS1 in principle atthe time of scanning exposure operation as shown in FIG. 15A. This isbecause when moving only fine movement stage WFS1, weight of the driveobject is lighter when comparing with the case where coarse movementstage WCS1 is driven, which allows an advantage of being able to drivewafer W with high acceleration. Further, because position measuringaccuracy of fine movement stage position measurement system 70A ishigher than wafer stage position measurement system 16A as previouslydescribed, it is advantageous to drive fine movement stage WFS1 at thetime of scanning exposure. Incidentally, at the time of this scanningexposure, coarse movement stage WCS1 is driven to the opposite side offine movement stage WFS1 by an operation of a reaction force (refer tothe outlined arrow in FIG. 15A) by the drive of fine movement stageWFS1. More specifically, because coarse movement stage WCS1 functions asa countermass, momentum of the system consisting of the entire waferstage WST1 is conserved, and centroid shift does not occur,inconveniences such as unbalanced load acting on base board 12 by thescanning drive of fine movement stage WFS1 do not occur.

Meanwhile, when movement (stepping) operation between shots in theX-axis direction is performed, because movement capacity in the X-axisdirection of fine movement stage WFS1 is small, main controller 20 moveswafer W in the X-axis direction by driving coarse movement stage WCS1 inthe X-axis direction as shown in FIG. 15B.

In the embodiment, in parallel with exposure to wafer W on fine movementstage WFS1 described above, wafer exchange, wafer alignment, and thelike are performed on the other fine movement stage WFS2. Wafer exchangeis performed, by unloading wafer W which has been exposed from abovefine movement stage WFS2 by a wafer carrier system (not shown), as wellas loading a new wafer W on fine movement stage WFS2 when coarsemovement stage WCS2 supporting fine movement stage WFS2 is atmeasurement station 300 or at a predetermined wafer exchange position inthe vicinity of measurement station 300. In this case, the wafer carriersystem is equipped, for example, with a wafer exchange arm (not shown)consisting of an arm of a multijoint robot, and the exchange arm has adisc-shaped Bernoulli chuck (also called a float chuck) at the tip. Asis known, the Bernoulli chuck is a chuck that utilizes the Bernoullieffect and fixes (suctions) the object in a non-contact manner bylocally increasing the flow velocity of a blown out fluid (e.g., air).The Bernoulli effect, here, refers to an effect that the Bernoulli'stheorem (principle) in which an increase in the speed of the fluidoccurs simultaneously with a decrease in pressure has on fluidmachinery. In the Bernoulli chuck, the holding state (suction/floatingstate) is decided, according to the weight of the object to be suctioned(fixed), and the flow rate of the fluid which is blown out from thechuck. More specifically, in the case the size of the object is known,the dimension of the gap between the chuck and the object to be heldupon holding is decided, depending on the flow rate of the fluid whichis blown out from the chuck. In the embodiment, the Bernoulli chuck isused to suction (to fix or to hold) wafer W.

On wafer alignment, first of all, as shown in FIG. 16, main controller20 drives fine movement stage WFS2 so as to position measurement plate86 on fine movement stage WFS2 right under primary alignment system AL1,and detects the second fiducial mark using primary alignment system AL1.Then, main controller 20 makes a link between a position coordinate (X,Y) of the second fiducial mark which uses the detection results, ornamely, the detection center (the index center) of primary alignmentsystem AL1 as a reference, and measurement values of fine movement stageposition measurement system 70B at the time of the detection of thesecond fiducial mark, and stores them in memory (not shown).

And while making wafer stage WST2 perform a stepping movement, at eachstepping position, main controller 20 detects one, or more than onealignment marks arranged on a plurality of specific shot areas (sampleshot areas) on wafer W, or more specifically, the alignment marks formedon a street (also called a scribe line) dividing the shot areas, usingat least one alignment system including primary alignment system AL1.Then, on each detection, main controller 20 makes a link between aposition coordinate (X, Y) of the alignment mark which uses thedetection results, or namely, the detection center (the index center) ofprimary alignment system AL1 or AL2 _(n) and measurement values of finemovement stage position measurement system 70B at the time of thedetection of the alignment mark, and stores them in memory (not shown).

In the following description, a wafer alignment procedure will bedescribed, in the case of picking wafer W having 43 shot areas as shownin FIG. 16 as an example and choosing all the shot areas on wafer W as asample shot area, and detecting the one or two specific alignment marks(hereinafter referred to as sample marks) provided in each of the sampleshot areas. In this case, on wafer W, three shot areas each are formedin the first row and the seventh row, seven shot areas each are formedin the second row, the third row, the fifth row, and the sixth row, andnine shot areas are formed in the fourth row. Incidentally, in thefollowing description, the primary alignment system and the secondaryalignment system will both be shortly described appropriately as analignment system. Further, while the positional information of waferstage WST2 (fine movement stage WFS2) during the wafer alignment ismeasured by fine movement stage position measurement system 70B, in thefollowing description of the wafer alignment procedure, explanationrelated to fine movement stage position measurement system 70B will beomitted.

After having detected the second fiducial mark, main controller 20 stepswafer stage WST2 to a position a predetermined distance in the −Ydirection and a predetermined distance in the +X direction from theposition shown in FIG. 16, and positions one sample mark each arrangedin the first and third shot areas in the first row on wafer W so thatthe sample marks are within a detection field of alignment systems AL2 ₂and AL1, respectively, as shown in FIG. 17A. Main controller 20, in thiscase, can move wafer stage WST2 directly (diagonally) from the positionshown in FIG. 16 to the position shown in FIG. 17A, or can step waferstage WST2 in the order of the −Y direction and the +X direction, or inthe order of the +X direction and then the −Y direction. In any case,main controller 20 detects the two sample marks simultaneously andindividually using alignment systems AL1 and AL2 ₂, after positioningwafer stage WST2 at the position shown in FIG. 17A.

Next, main controller 20 steps wafer stage WST2 located at the positionshown in FIG. 17A in the −X direction, and positions one sample markeach arranged in the second and third shot areas in the first row onwafer W so that the sample marks are within a detection field ofalignment systems AL1 and AL2 ₃, respectively, as shown in FIG. 17B.And, main controller 20 detects the two sample marks simultaneously andindividually, using alignment systems AL1 and AL2 ₃. This completes thedetection of the sample marks in the shot areas of the first row.

Next, main controller 20 steps wafer stage WST2 to a position apredetermined distance in the −Y direction and a predetermined distancein the +X direction from the position shown in FIG. 17B, and positionsone sample mark each arranged in the first, third, fifth, and seventhshot areas in the second row on wafer W so that the sample marks arewithin a detection field of alignment systems AL2 ₁, AL2 ₂, AL1, and AL2₃, respectively, as shown in FIG. 18A. And, main controller 20 detectsthe four sample marks simultaneously and individually, using alignmentsystems AL2 ₁, AL2 ₂, AL1, and AL2 ₃. Next, main controller 20 stepswafer stage WST2 from the position shown in FIG. 18A in the −Xdirection, and positions one sample mark each arranged in the second,fourth, sixth, and seventh shot areas in the second row on wafer W sothat the sample marks are within a detection field of alignment systemsAL2 ₂, AL1, AL2 ₃, and AL2 ₄, respectively, as shown in FIG. 18B. And,main controller 20 detects the four sample marks simultaneously andindividually, using alignment systems AL2 ₂, AL1, AL2 ₃, and AL2 ₄. Thiscompletes the detection of the sample marks in the shot areas of thesecond row.

Next, main controller 20 performs detection of the sample marks in theshot areas of the third row, in a procedure similar to the detection ofthe sample marks in the shot areas of the second row.

And, when the detection of the sample marks in the shot areas of thethird row is completed, main controller 20 steps wafer stage WST2 fromthe position set at that point in time to a position a predetermineddistance in the −Y direction and a predetermined distance in the +Xdirection, and positions one sample mark each arranged in the first,third, fifth, seventh, and ninth shot areas in the fourth row on wafer Wso that the sample marks are within a detection field of alignmentsystems AL2 ₁, AL2 ₂, AL1, AL2 ₃, and AL2 ₄, respectively, as shown inFIG. 19A. And, main controller 20 detects the five sample markssimultaneously and individually, using alignment systems AL2 ₁, AL2 ₂,AL1, AL2 ₃, and AL2 ₄. Next, main controller 20 steps wafer stage WST2from the position shown in FIG. 19A in the −X direction, and positionsone sample mark each arranged in the second, fourth, sixth, eighth, andninth shot areas in the fourth row on wafer W so that the sample marksare within a detection field of alignment systems AL2 ₁, AL2 ₂, AL1, AL2₃, and AL2 ₄, respectively, as shown in FIG. 19B. And, main controller20 detects the five sample marks simultaneously and individually, usingalignment systems AL2 ₁, AL2 ₂, AL1, AL2 ₃, and AL2 ₄.

Furthermore, main controller 20 performs detection of the sample marksin the shot areas of the fifth and sixth rows, in a manner similar tothe detection of the sample marks in the shot areas of the second row.Finally, main controller 20 performs detection of the sample marks inthe shot areas of the seventh row, in a manner similar to the detectionof the sample marks in the shot areas of the first row.

When detection of the sample marks in all of the shot areas is completedin the manner described above, main controller 20 computes an array(position coordinates) of all of the shot areas on wafer W by performinga statistical computation which is disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat.No. 4,780,617 and the like, using detection results of the sample marksand measurement values of fine movement stage position measurementsystem 70B at the time of the sample mark detection. More specifically,EGA (Enhanced Global Alignment) is performed. Then, main controller 20converts the computation results to an array (position coordinates)which uses a position of the second fiducial marks as a reference, usingdetection results of the second fiducial marks and measurement values offine movement stage position measurement system 70B at the time of thedetection.

As described above, as for the Y-axis direction, main controller 20gradually steps wafer stage WST2 in the −Y direction, while drivingwafer stage WST2 reciprocally in the +X direction and the −X directionfor the X-axis direction, so as to detect the alignment marks (samplemarks) provided in all of the shot areas on wafer W. In this case, inexposure apparatus 100 of the embodiment, because five alignment systemsAL1, and AL2 ₁ to AL2 ₄ can be used, the distance of the reciprocaldrive in the X-axis direction is short, and the number of times ofposition setting in one reciprocal movement is few, which is two times.Therefore, alignment marks can be detected in quite a short amount oftime when compared with the case when using a single alignment system.Incidentally, in case no problems occur from the viewpoint ofthroughput, the wafer alignment previously described where all of theshot areas are sample shots can be performed, using only primaryalignment system AL1. In this case, a baseline of secondary alignmentsystems AL2 ₁ to AL2 ₄, namely, a relative position of secondaryalignment systems AL2 ₁ to AL2 ₄ with respect to primary alignmentsystem AL1 will not be required.

In the embodiment, main controller 20 performs position measurementincluding the detection of the second fiducial marks, and in the case ofthe wafer alignment, performs position measurement of fine movementstage WFS2 in the XY plane supported by coarse movement stage WCS2 atthe time of the wafer alignment, using fine movement stage positionmeasurement system 70B including measurement arm 71B. However, besidesthis, in the case of performing the movement of fine movement stage WFS2at the time of wafer alignment integrally with coarse movement stageWCS2, main controller 20 can perform wafer alignment while measuring theposition of wafer W via wafer stage position measurement system 16B(relative position measuring instrument 22B) previously described. Or,for example, wafer alignment can be performed while measuring the θzrotation of wafer W (fine movement stage WFS2) using wafer stageposition measurement system 16B and relative position measuringinstrument 22B, and measuring the X position and Y position of finemovement stage WFS2 using fine movement stage position measurementsystem 70B.

Further, because measurement station 300 and exposure station 200 arearranged apart, the position of fine movement stage WFS2 is controlledon different coordinate systems at the time of wafer alignment and atthe time of exposure. Therefore, main controller 20 converts arraycoordinates of each shot area on wafer W acquired from the waferalignment into array coordinates which are based on the second fiducialmarks.

While wafer alignment to wafer W held by fine movement stage WFS2 iscompleted in the manner described above, exposure of wafer W which isheld by fine movement stage WFS1 in exposure station 200 is still beingcontinued. FIG. 20A shows a positional relation of coarse movementstages WCS1, WCS2 and relay stage DRST at the stage when wafer alignmentto wafer W has been completed.

Main controller 20 drives wafer stage WST2 by a predetermined distancein the −Y direction via coarse movement stage drive system 51B, as shownin an outlined arrow in FIG. 20B, and makes wafer stage WST2 be incontact or be in proximity by around 500 μm to relay stage DRST which isstanding still at a predetermined waiting position (for example,substantially coincides with a center position between an optical axisAX of projection optical system PL and a detection center of primaryalignment system AL1).

Next, main controller 20 controls the current flowing in Y drive coilsof fine movement stage drive systems 52B and 52C so as to drive finemovement stage WFS2 in the −Y direction by a Lorentz force, as is shownby the black arrow in FIG. 20C, and moves fine movement stage WFS2 fromcoarse movement stage WCS2 onto relay stage DRST. FIG. 20D shows a statewhere fine movement stage WFS2 has been moved and mounted on relay stageDRST.

Main controller 20 waits for the exposure to wafer W on fine movementstage WFS1 to be completed, in a state where relay stage DRST and coarsemovement stage WCS2 are waiting at a position shown in FIG. 20D.

FIG. 22 shows a state of wafer stage WST1 immediately after completingthe exposure.

Prior to the completion of exposure, main controller 20 drives movableblade BL downward by a predetermined amount from a state shown in FIG. 4via blade drive system 58 as is shown by an outlined arrow in FIG. 21.By this drive, the upper surface of movable blade BL is positioned to beflush with the upper surface of fine movement stage WFS1 (and wafer W)located below projection optical system PL, as shown in FIG. 21. Then,main controller 20 waits for the exposure to be completed in this state.

Then, when exposure has been completed, main controller 20 drivesmovable blade BL in the +Y direction by a predetermined amount (refer tothe outlined arrow in FIG. 22) via blade drive system 58, so as to makemovable blade BL be in contact or in proximity by a clearance of around300 μm to fine movement stage WFS1. More specifically, main controller20 sets movable blade BL and fine movement stage WFS1 to a scrum state.

Next, as shown in FIG. 23, main controller 20 drives movable blade BL inthe +Y direction (refer to the outlined arrow in FIG. 23) integrallywith wafer stage WST1, while maintaining a scrum state between movableblade BL and fine movement stage WFS1. By this operation, the liquidimmersion space formed by liquid Lq held between tip lens 191 and finemovement stage WFS1 is passed from fine movement stage WFS1 to movableblade BL. FIG. 23 shows a state just before the liquid immersion spaceformed by liquid Lq is passed from fine movement stage WFS1 to movableblade BL. In the state shown in FIG. 23, liquid Lq is held between tiplens 191, and fine movement stage WFS1 and movable blade BL.Incidentally, in the case of driving movable blade BL and fine movementstage WFS1 in proximity, it is desirable to set a gap (clearance)between movable blade BL and fine movement stage WFS1 so as to preventor to suppress leakage of liquid Lq. In this case, in proximity includesthe case where the gap (clearance) between blade BL and fine movementstage WFS1 is zero, or in other words, the case when both movable bladeBL and fine movement stage WFS1 are in contact.

Then, when the liquid immersion space has been passed from fine movementstage WFS1 to movable blade BL, as shown in FIG. 24, main controller 20makes coarse movement stage WCS1 holding fine movement stage WFS1 comeinto contact or in proximity by a clearance of around 300 μm to relaystage DRST waiting in a proximity state with coarse movement stage WCS2,holding fine movement stage WFS2 at the waiting position previouslydescribed. During the stage where coarse movement stage WCS1 holdingfine movement stage WFS1 moves in the +Y direction, main controller 20inserts carrier member 48 of carrier apparatus 46 into the space ofcoarse movement stage WCS1, via carrier member drive system 54.

And, at the point when coarse movement stage WCS1 holding fine movementstage WFS1 comes into contact or in proximity to relay stage DRST, maincontroller 20 drives carrier member 48 upward so that fine movementstage WFS1 is supported from below.

And, in this state, main controller 20 releases the lock mechanism (notshown), and separates coarse movement stage WCS1 into the first sectionWCS1 a and the second section WCS1 b. By this operation, fine movementstage WFS1 is detachable from coarse movement stage WCS1. Then, maincontroller 20 drives carrier member 48 supporting fine movement stageWFS1 downward, as is shown by the outlined arrow in FIG. 25A.

And then, main controller 20 locks the lock mechanism (not shown) afterthe first section WCS1 a and the second section WCS1 b are joinedtogether.

Next, math controller 20 moves carrier member 48 which supports finemovement stage WFS1 from below to the inside of stage main section 44 ofrelay stage DRST. FIG. 25B shows the state where carrier member 48 isbeing moved. Further, concurrently with the movement of carrier member48, main controller 20 controls the current flowing in Y drive coils offine movement stage drive systems 52C and 52A, and drives fine movementstage WFS2 in the −Y direction as is shown by the black arrow in FIG.25B by a Lorentz force, and moves (a slide movement) fine movement stageWFS2 from relay stage DRST onto coarse movement stage WCS1.

Further, after housing the carrier member main section of carrier member48 into the space of relay stage DRST so that fine movement stage WFS1is completely housed in the space of relay stage DRST, main controller20 moves the movable member holding fine movement stage WFS1 in the +Ydirection on the carrier member main section (refer to the outlinedarrow in FIG. 25C).

Next, main controller 20 moves coarse movement stage WCS1 which holdsfine movement stage WFS2 in the −Y direction, and delivers the liquidimmersion space held with tip lens 191 from movable blade BL to finemovement stage WFS2. The delivery of this liquid immersion space (liquidLq) is performed by reversing the procedure of the delivery of theliquid immersion area from fine movement stage WFS1 to movable blade BLpreviously described.

Then, prior to the beginning of exposure, main controller 20 performsreticle alignment in a procedure (a procedure disclosed in, for example,U.S. Pat. No. 5,646,413 and the like) similar to a normal scanningstepper, using the pair of reticle alignment systems RA₁ and RA₂previously described, and the pair of first fiducial marks onmeasurement plate 86 of fine movement stage WFS2 and the like. FIG. 25Dshows fine movement stage WFS2 during reticle alignment, along withcoarse movement stage WCS1 holding the fine movement stage. Then, maincontroller 20 performs exposure operation by the step-and-scan method,based on results of the reticle alignment and the results of the waferalignment (array coordinates which uses the second fiducial marks ofeach of the shot areas on wafer W), and transfers the pattern of reticleR on each of the plurality of shot areas on wafer W. As is obvious fromFIGS. 25E and 25F, in this exposure, fine movement stage WFS2 isreturned to the −Y side after reticle alignment, and then exposure isperformed in the order from shot areas on the side on wafer W to theshot areas on the −Y side.

Concurrently with the delivery of the liquid immersion space, reticlealignment, and exposure described above, the following operations areperformed.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 25D, main controller 20 movescarrier member 48 holding fine movement stage WFS1 into the space ofcoarse movement stage WCS2. At this point, with the movement of carriermember 48, main controller 20 moves the movable member holding finemovement stage WFS1 on the carrier member main section in the +Ydirection.

Next, main controller 20 releases the lock mechanism (not shown), andseparates coarse movement stage WCS2 into the first section WCS2 a andthe second section WCS2 b, and also drives carrier member 48 holdingfine movement stage WFS1 upward as is shown by the outlined arrow inFIG. 25E so that each of the pair of mover sections equipped in finemovement stage WFS1 are positioned at a height where the pair of moversections are engageable with the pair of stator sections of coarsemovement stage WCS2.

And then, main controller 20 brings together the first section WCS2 aand the second section WCS2 b of coarse movement stage WCS2. By this,fine movement stage WFS1 holding wafer W which has been exposed issupported by coarse movement stage WCS2. Therefore, main controller 20locks the lock mechanism (not shown).

Next, main controller 20 drives coarse movement stage WCS2 supportingfine movement stage WFS1 in the +Y direction as shown by the outlinedarrow in FIG. 25F, and moves coarse movement stage WCS2 to measurementstation 300.

Then, by main controller 20, on fine movement stage WFS1, waferexchange, detection of the second fiducial marks, wafer alignment andthe like are performed, in procedures similar to the ones previouslydescribed.

Then, main controller 20 converts array coordinates of each shot area onwafer W acquired from the wafer alignment into array coordinates whichare based on the second fiducial marks. In this case as well, positionmeasurement of fine movement stage WFS1 on alignment is performed, usingfine movement stage position measurement system 70B.

While wafer alignment to wafer W held by fine movement stage WFS1 iscompleted in the manner described above, exposure of wafer W which isheld by fine movement stage WFS2 in exposure station 200 is still beingcontinued.

Then, in a manner similar to the previous description, main controller20 moves fine movement stage WFS1 to relay stage DRST. Main controller20 waits for the exposure to wafer W on fine movement stage WFS2 to becompleted, in a state where relay stage DRST and coarse movement stageWCS2 are waiting at the waiting position previously described.

Hereinafter, a similar processing is repeatedly performed, alternatelyusing fine movement stages WFS1 and WFS2, and an exposure processing toa plurality of wafer Ws is continuously performed.

As described in detail above, according to exposure apparatus 100 of theembodiment, in exposure station 200, wafer W mounted on fine movementstage WFS1 (or WFS2) held relatively movable by coarse movement stageWCS1 is exposed with exposure light IL, via reticle R and projectionoptical system PL. In doing so, positional information in the X plane offine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) held movable by coarse movement stageWCS1 is measured by main controller 20, using encoder system 73 of finemovement stage position measurement system 70A which has Measurement arm71A which faces grating RG placed at fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2).In this case, because space is formed inside coarse movement stage WCS1and each of the heads of fine movement stage position measurement system70A are placed in this space, there is only space between fine movementstage WFS1 (or WFS2) and each of the heads of fine movement stageposition measurement system 70A. Accordingly, each of the heads can bearranged in proximity to fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) (gratingRG), which allows a highly precise measurement of the positionalinformation of fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) by fine movement stageposition measurement system 70A. Further, as a consequence, a highlyprecise drive of fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) via coarse movementstage drive system 51A and/or fine movement stage drive system 52A bymain controller 20 becomes possible.

Further, in this case, irradiation points of the measurement beams ofeach of the heads of encoder system 73 and laser interferometer system75 configuring fine movement stage position measurement system 70Aemitted from measurement arm 71A on grating RG coincide with the center(exposure position) of irradiation area (exposure area) IA of exposurelight IL irradiated on wafer W. Accordingly, main controller 20 canmeasure the positional information of fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2)with high accuracy, without being affected by so-called Abbe error.Further, because optical path lengths in the atmosphere of themeasurement beams of each of the heads of encoder system 73 can be madeextremely short by placing measurement arm 71A right under grating RG,the influence of air fluctuation is reduced, and also in this point, thepositional information of fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) can bemeasured with high accuracy.

Further, in the embodiment, fine movement stage position measurementsystem 70B configured symmetric to fine movement stage positionmeasurement system 70A is provided in measurement station 300. And inmeasurement station 300, when wafer alignment to wafer W on finemovement stage WFS2 (or WFS1) held by coarse movement stage WCS2 isperformed by alignment systems AL1, and AL2 ₁ to AL2 ₄ and the like,positional information in the XY plane of fine movement stage WFS2 (orWFS1) held movable on coarse movement stage WCS2 is measured by finemovement stage position measurement system 70B with high precision. As aconsequence, a highly precise drive of fine movement stage WFS2 (orWFS1) via coarse movement stage drive system 51B and/or fine movementstage drive system 52B by main controller 20 becomes possible.

Further, in the embodiment, because the free end and the fixed end ineach of the arms are set in opposite directions in measurement arm 71Aat the exposure station 200 side and measurement arm 71B at themeasurement station 300 side, coarse movement stage WCS1 can approachmeasurement station 300 (to be more precise, relay stage DRST) andcoarse movement stage WCS2 can also approach exposure station 200 (to bemore precise, relay stage DRST), without being disturbed by measurementarms 71A and 71B.

Further, according to the embodiment, the delivery of fine movementstage WFS2 (or WFS1) holding the wafer which has not yet undergoneexposure from coarse movement stage WCS2 to relay stage DRST, and thedelivery from relay stage DRST to coarse movement stage WCS1 areperformed, by making fine movement stage WFS2 (or WFS1) perform a slidemovement along an upper surface (a surface (a first surface) parallel tothe XY plane including the pair of stator sections 93 a and 93 b) ofcoarse movement stage WCS2, relay stage DRST, and coarse movement stageWCS1. Further, the delivery of fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2)holding the wafer which has been exposed from coarse movement stage WCS1to relay stage DRST, and the delivery from relay stage DRST to coarsemovement stage WCS1 are performed, by making fine movement stage WFS1(or WFS2) move within the space inside coarse movement stage WCS1, relaystage DRST, and coarse movement stage WCS2, which are positioned on the−Z side of the first surface. Accordingly, the delivery of the waferbetween coarse movement stage WCS1 and relay stage DRST, and coarsemovement stage WCS2 and relay stage DRST, can be realized by suppressingan increase in the footprint of the apparatus as much as possible.

Further, in the embodiment above, although relay stage DRST isconfigured movable within the XY plane, as is obvious from thedescription on the series of parallel processing operations previouslydescribed, in the actual sequence, relay stage DRST remains waiting atthe waiting position previously described. On this point as well, anincrease in the footprint of the apparatus is suppressed.

Further, according to exposure apparatus 100 of the embodiment, when thefirst section WCS1 a and the second section WCS1 b of coarse movementstage WCS1 are each driven by main controller 20 via coarse movementstage drive system 51A, and the first section WCS1 a and the secondsection WCS1 b are separated, fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) held bycoarse movement stage WCS1 before the separation can easily be detachedfrom coarse movement stage WCS1, while still holding wafer W which hasbeen exposed. That is, wafer W can be detached easily from coarsemovement stage WCS1, integrally with fine movement stage WFS1.

In this case, in the embodiment, because coarse movement stage WCS1 isseparated into the first section WCS1 a and the second section WCS1 band fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) holding wafer W which has beenexposed is easily detached from coarse movement stage WCS1, after movingfine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) integrally with coarse movement stageWCS1 in a direction (the +Y direction) from a fixed end to a free end ofmeasurement arm 71A which is supported in a cantilevered state with thetip inside the space within coarse movement stage WCS1, fine movementstage WFS1 (or WFS2) holding wafer W which has been exposed can bedetached from coarse movement stage WCS1 without measurement arm 71Ainterfering the detachment.

Further, after fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) holding wafer W whichhas been exposed is detached from coarse movement stage WCS1, coarsemovement stage WCS1 is made to hold another fine movement stage WFS2 (orWFS1) which holds wafer W which has not yet undergone exposure.Accordingly, it becomes possible to detach fine movement stage WFS1 (orWFS2) holding wafer W which has been exposed from coarse movement stageWCS1, or to make coarse movement stage WCS1 hold another fine movementstage WFS2 (or WFS1) holding wafer W which has not yet undergoneexposure, in a state each holding wafer W.

Further, main controller 20 drives carrier member 48 via carrier memberdrive system 54, and fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2), which stillholds wafer W which has been exposed and has been detached from coarsemovement stage WCS1, is housed in the space inside of relay stage DRST.

Further, main controller 20 drives carrier member 48 via carrier memberdrive system 54 so that the position of fine movement stage WFS1 (orWFS2) holding wafer W which has been exposed is set to a predeterminedheight, in a state where the first section of WCS2 a and the secondsection WCS2 b of coarse movement stage WCS2 are separated via coarsemovement stage drive system 51B. And, by the first section of WCS2 abeing integrated with the second section WCS2 b of coarse movement stageWCS2 via coarse movement stage drive system 51B by main controller 20,fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) holding wafer W which has beenexposed can be delivered from relay stage DRST to coarse movement stageWCS2.

Furthermore, main controller 20 moves and mounts fine movement stageWFS2 (or WFS1) holding wafer W which has not yet undergone exposure fromcoarse movement stage WCS2 to relay stage DRST, via fine movement stagedrive systems 52B and 52C, and then further from relay stage DRST tocoarse movement stage WCS1, via fine movement stage drive systems 52Cand 52A.

Therefore, according to exposure apparatus 100 of the embodiment, waferW can be delivered between the three, which are coarse movement stageWCS1, relay stage DRST, and coarse movement stage WCS2, integrally withfine movement stage WFS1 or WFS2, even if the size of wafer W increases,without any problems in particular.

Further, when fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) holds liquid Lq betweentip lens 191 (projection optical system PL), movable blade BL moves intoa scrum state where movable blade BL is in contact or in proximity via aclearance of around 300 μm with fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) inthe Y-axis direction, and moves along in the Y-axis direction with finemovement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) while maintaining the scrum state from thefixed end side to the free end side of measurement arm 71A, and thenholds liquid Lq with tip lens 191 (projection optical system PL) afterthis movement. Therefore, it becomes possible to deliver liquid Lq (theliquid immersion space formed by liquid Lq) held with tip lens 191(projection optical system PL) from fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2)to movable blade BL, without measurement arm 71A disturbing thedelivery.

Further, according to exposure apparatus 100 of the embodiment, becausefine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) can be driven with good precision, itbecomes possible to drive wafer W mounted on this fine movement stageWFS1 (or WFS2) in synchronization with reticle stage RST (reticle R)with good precision, and to transfer a pattern of reticle R onto wafer Wby scanning exposure. Further, in exposure apparatus 100 of theembodiment, because wafer exchange, alignment measurement and the likeof wafer W on fine movement stage WFS2 (or WFS1) can be performed inmeasurement station 300, concurrently with the exposure operationperformed on wafer W mounted on fine movement stage WFS2 (or WFS2) inexposure station 200, throughput can be improved when compared with thecase where each processing of wafer exchange, alignment measurement, andexposure is sequentially performed.

Incidentally, in the embodiment above, fine movement stage WFS1 holdingwafer W which has been exposed was delivered first to carrier member 48of relay stage DRST, and then fine movement stage WFS2 held by relaystage DRST was slid afterwards to be held by coarse movement stage WCS1,using FIGS. 25A to 25C. However, besides this, fine movement stage WFS2can be delivered to carrier member 48 of relay stage DRST first, andthen fine movement stage WFS1 held by coarse movement stage WCS1 can beslid afterwards to be held by relay stage DRST.

Further, in the embodiment above, while the gap (clearance) betweenrelay stage DRST and coarse movement stages WCS1 and WCS2 was set toaround 300 μm in the case of making coarse movement stages WCS1 and WCS2proximal to relay stage DRST, respectively to replace fine movementstages WFS1 and WFS2, this gap does not necessarily have to be set smallas in the case, for example, such as when blade BL and fine movementstage WFS1 are driven in proximity. In this case, relay stage DRST andcoarse movement stage can be distanced within a range where finemovement stage is not tilted greatly (that is, the stator and the moverof the linear motor do not come into contact) at the time of movement ofthe fine movement stage between relay stage DRST and the coarse movementstage. In other words, the gap between relay stage DRST and coarsemovement stages WCS2 and WCS2 is not limited to around 300 μm and can bemade extremely large.

Incidentally, in exposure apparatus 100 of the embodiment, fine movementstages WFS1 and WFS2 holding wafer W are supported by coarse movementstage WCS2 at measurement station 300 at the time of wafer alignment,while at the time of exposure, fine movement stages WFS1 and WFS2 aresupported by coarse movement stage WCS1 at exposure station 200. Becauseof this, it is conceivable that deflection of fine movement stages WFS1and WFS2 (and wafer W which is held) caused by its own weight and thelike differs at the time of exposure and at the time of wafer alignment.Taking such a case into consideration, a difference between deflectionof fine movement stages WFS1 and WFS2 in a state supported by coarsemovement stage WCS1 and deflection of fine movement stages WFS1 and WFS2in a state supported by coarse movement stage WCS2 can be obtained inadvance, and deviation of X, Y values of wafer W that occur due to thedifference can be obtained in advance as offset information used tocorrect detection error of alignment marks caused due to the deflection.

Or, in order to unify the degree of deflection of fine movement stagesWFS1 and WFS2, that is to say, to unify the surface position of wafer Wwhen supported by coarse movement stages WCS1 and WCS2, and furthermore,to avoid detection errors (and focus errors and the like on exposure) ofthe alignment marks that accompany the deflection, fine movement stageWFS2 (WFS1) can be bent in the +Z direction (in a convex shape) or inthe −X direction (a concave shape), as shown in FIG. 10.

However, in the embodiment, in both exposure station 200 and measurementstation 300, the position in the XY plane of fine movement stages WFS1and WFS2 is measured by an encoder system using grating RG placed onfine movement stages WFS1 and WFS2, and further, when fine movementstages WFS1 and WFS2 are deflected, grating RG is also similarlydeflected. Therefore, even if the degree of deflection of fine movementstages WFS1 and WFS2 is actually different at the time of exposure andat the time of alignment, this does not have any substantial impact.Especially, in the case when a wafer alignment (EGA) is performed whereall of the shot areas of wafer W serve as a sample shot area, noproblems occur in particular even if the degree of deflection of finemovement stages WFS1 and WFS2 is different at the time of exposure andat the time of alignment. In the case of performing the wafer alignment(EGA) where all of the shot areas of wafer W serve as a sample shot areausing only primary alignment system AL1, the degree of deflection offine movement stages WFS1 and WFS2 does not have to be considered.

Incidentally, in the embodiment above, while the case has been describedwhere the apparatus is equipped with relay stage DRST, in addition tocoarse movement stages WCS1 and WCS2, relay stage DRST does notnecessarily have to be provided as it will be described in a secondembodiment that follows. In this case, for example, the fine movementstage can be delivered between coarse movement stage WCS2 and coarsemovement stage WCS1 directly, or, for example, the fine movement stagecan be delivered to coarse movement stages WCS1 and WCS2, using a robotarm and the like. In the former case, for example, a carrier mechanism,which delivers the fine movement stage to coarse movement stage WCS1 andthen receives the fine movement stage and delivers the fine movementstage to an external carrier system (not shown) from coarse movementstage WCS1, can be provided in coarse movement stage WCS2. In the lattercase, the fine movement stage which one of the coarse movement stageWCS1 and WCS2 supports is delivered to a support device, while the finemovement stage which the other coarse movement stage supports isdelivered to the one coarse movement stage directly, and then finally,the fine movement stage supported by the support device is delivered tothe other coarse movement stage. In this case, as a support device,besides a robot arm, a vertically movable table can be used, which fitsinside of base board 12 at normal times so as not to project out fromthe floor surface, and moves upward to support the fine movement stagewhen coarse movement stages WCS1 and WCS2 are separated into twosections, and then moves downward while still supporting the finemovement stage. Alternatively, in the case a narrow notch is formed inthe Y-axis direction in coarse movement slider section 91 of coarsemovement stages WCS1 and WCS2, a table whose shaft section protrudesfrom the floor surface and is vertically movable can be used. In anycase, the support device can have any structure as long as the sectionsupporting the fine movement stage is movable at least in one direction,and does not interfere when the fine movement stage is delivereddirectly between coarse movement stages WCS1 and WCS2 in a statesupporting the fine movement stage. In any case, when the relay stage isnot arranged, this allows the footprint of the apparatus to be reduced.

A Second Embodiment

Hereinafter, a second embodiment of the present invention will bedescribed, with reference to FIGS. 26 to 45. Here, the same referencenumerals will be used for the same or similar sections as in the firstembodiment previously described, and a detailed description thereaboutwill be simplified or omitted.

FIG. 26 shows a schematic configuration of exposure apparatus 1100 ofthe second embodiment in a planar view, and FIG. 27 schematically showsa side view of exposure apparatus 1100 in FIG. 26. Further, FIG. 29Ashows a side view of a wafer stage which exposure apparatus 1100 isequipped with when viewed from the −Y direction, and FIG. 29B shows aplanar view of the wafer stage. Further, FIG. 30A, shows an extractedplanar view of a coarse movement stage, and FIG. 30B is a planar view ina state where the coarse movement stage is separated into two sections.

Exposure apparatus 1100 is a projection exposure apparatus by thestep-and-scan method, or a so-called scanner.

As shown in FIGS. 26 and 27, exposure apparatus 1100 is equipped with acenter table 130 placed on base board 12 between measurement station 300and exposure station 200, instead of the relay stage previouslydescribed. Further, in exposure apparatus 1100, corresponding to centertable 130 which has been provided, a notch 95 having a U-shape is formedin coarse movement slider section 91 of coarse movement stages WCS1 andWCS2 (refer to FIG. 30A).

In exposure apparatus 1100, in addition to fine movement stage positionmeasurement systems 70A and 70B, a fine movement stage positionmeasurement system 70C (refer to FIG. 32) which measures at least a σzrotation of fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) is provided.

In exposure apparatus 1100, the configuration for other sections is thesame as exposure apparatus 100 of the first embodiment previouslydescribed. In the following description, from a viewpoint of avoidingrepetition, the description will focus mainly on the difference withexposure apparatus 100.

As shown in FIG. 26, center table 130 is placed at a position betweenmeasurement station 300 and exposure station 200, with the center of thetable substantially coinciding on reference axis LV previouslydescribed. As shown in FIG. 28, center table 130 is equipped with adrive device 132 placed inside of base board 12, a shaft 134 which isvertically driven by drive device 132, and a table main body 136 whichhas an X-shape in a planar view and is fixed to the upper end of shaft134. Drive device 132 of center table 130 is controlled by maincontroller 20 (refer to FIG. 32).

As is shown in FIG. 30A which representatively shows coarse movementstage WCS1, coarse movement stages WCS1 and WCS2 which are equipped inexposure apparatus 1100 have a U-shaped notch 95, which is larger thanthe diameter of drive shaft 134 previously described, formed on one side(the +Y side) of the Y-axis direction in the center of a longitudinaldirection (the X-axis direction) of coarse movement slider section 91.

The first section WCS1 a and the second section WCS1 b are normallylocked integrally, via a lock mechanism (not shown). More specifically,the first section WCS1 a and the second section WCS1 b normally operateintegrally. And, coarse movement stage WCS1, which consists of the firstsection WCS1 a and the second section WCS1 b that are integrally formed,is driven by coarse movement stage drive system 51A including coarsemovement stage drive systems 51Aa and 51Ab (refer to FIG. 32).

Coarse movement stage WCS2 is also configured separable into twosections, which are a first section WCS2 a and a second section WCS2 b,similar to coarse movement stage WSC1, and is driven (refer to FIG. 32)by a coarse movement stage drive system 51B, which is configured similarto coarse movement stage drive system 51A. Incidentally, coarse movementstage WCS2 is placed on base board 12 in a direction opposite to coarsemovement stage WCS2, or more specifically, in a direction where anopening of notch 95 of coarse movement slider section 91 faces the otherside (the −Y side) of the Y-axis direction.

As shown in FIG. 26, fine movement stage position measurement system 70Cis configured including head units 98A to 98D provided in measurementstation 300. Head units 98A to 98D are placed around alignment systemsAL1, and AL2 ₁ to AL2 ₄ (aligner 99), and are fixed in a suspended stateto main frame BD, via a support member (not shown).

As shown enlarged in FIG. 31, head units 98A and 98B have a plurality of(ten, in this case) encoder heads (Y heads) 96 _(k) and 97 _(k) (k=1 to10), respectively, whose measurement direction is in the Y-axisdirection and are arranged equally spaced in the X-axis direction on the−Y side of alignment systems AL2 ₁ and AL2 ₂, and AL2 ₃ and AL2 ₄. Headunit 98C and 98D have a plurality of (eight, in this case) Y heads 96_(k) and 97 _(k) (k=11 to 18), respectively, which are arranged equallyspaced in the X-axis direction on the +Y side of alignment systems AL2 ₁and AL2 ₂, and AL2 ₃ and AL2 ₄. In the following description, Y heads 96_(k) and 97 _(k) will also be expressed as Y heads 96 and 97 whennecessary. The placement of Y heads 96 and 97 will be described lateron.

As shown in FIG. 29B, in an area on one side and the other side in theX-axis direction (the lateral direction of the page surface in FIG. 29B)on the upper surface of plate 83, Y scales 87Y₁ and 87Y₂ which aresubject to measurement by Y heads 96 and 97 are fixed, respectively. Yscales 87Y₁ and 87Y₂ are each composed of a reflective grating (forexample, a one-dimensional diffraction grating) having a periodicdirection in the Y-axis direction in which grid lines whose longitudinaldirection is in the X-axis direction are arranged in a predeterminedpitch along the Y-axis direction.

Y scales 87Y₁ and 87Y₂ are made, with graduations of the diffractiongrating marked, for example, at a pitch of 1 μm, on a thin plate shapedglass. Incidentally, in FIG. 29B, the pitch of the grating is shown muchwider than the actual pitch, for the sake of convenience. The same istrue also in other drawings. Incidentally, the type of diffractiongratings used for Y scales 87Y₁ and 87Y₂ are not limited to thediffraction grating made up of grooves or the like that are mechanicallyformed, and for example, can also be a grating that is created byexposing interference fringe on a photosensitive resin. Further, inorder to protect the diffraction grating, the diffraction grating can becovered with a glass plate with low thermal expansion that has waterrepellency so that the surface of the glass plate becomes the sameheight (surface position) as the surface of the wafer.

Y heads 96 and 97 are placed so as to satisfy conditions a to cdescribed below.

a. When fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) moves under aligner 99 at thetime of wafer alignment and the like, one head each of Y heads 96 and 97constantly face Y scales 87Y₁ and 87Y₂ on each fine movement stage WFS1(or WFS2), respectively.

b. In the case when fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) moves in theX-axis direction under aligner 99 and is at a position where a linkageprocess (a processing to secure the continuity of position measurementinformation) should be performed between two Y heads 96 and 97 which areadjacent, each of the two Y heads which are adjacent simultaneously faceY scales 87Y₁ and 87Y₂. In other words, the array distance in the X-axisdirection of Y heads 96 and 97 is shorter (smaller) than the width (thelength of the grid line) of Y scales 87Y₁ and 87Y₂ in the X-axisdirection.

c. In the case when fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) moves in theY-axis direction under aligner 99 and is at a position where a linkageprocess should be performed between Y heads 96 ₁ to 96 ₁₀ and 96 ₁₁ to96 ₁₈ (between head units 98A and 98C), one Y head each belonging tohead units 98A and 98C simultaneously face Y scale 87Y₁. Similarly, whenfine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) is at a position where a linkageprocess should be performed between Y heads 97 ₁ to 97 ₁₀ and 97 ₁₁ to97 ₁₈ (between head units 98B and 98D), one Y head each belonging tohead units 98B and 98D simultaneously face Y scale 87Y₂. In other words,the separation distance in the Y-axis direction of head units 98A and98C and the separation distance in the Y-axis direction of head units98B and 98D are longer than the length of Y scales 87Y₁ and 87Y₂ in theY-axis direction, respectively.

Incidentally, heads 96 and 97 are placed at a position around several mmabove the upper surface of Y scales 87Y₁ and 87Y₂.

Each of the Y heads 96 irradiate a measurement beam on Y scale 87Y₁ fromabove (the +Z side), receive a diffraction light generated from Y scale87Y₁ (diffraction grating), and measure a Y position of Y scale 87Y₁ (inother words, the +X end of fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2)).Similarly, each of the Y heads 97 irradiate a measurement beam on Yscale 87Y₂ from above (the +Z side), receive a diffraction lightgenerated from Y scale 87Y₂ (diffraction grating), and measure a Yposition of Y scale 87Y₂ (in other words, the −X end of fine movementstage WFS1 (or WFS2)).

When fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) moves under aligner 99 as ispreviously described, at least one head each of Y heads 96 and 97belonging to head units 98A and 98C, and 98B and 98D, face Y scales 87Y₁and 87Y₂, respectively. Accordingly, the θz rotation (and the Yposition) of fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) is measured by headunits 98A and 98C, and 98B and 98D. In this case, Y scale 87Y₁ and scale87Y₂ are sufficiently distanced in a direction (the X-axis direction)perpendicular to the periodic direction (the Y-axis direction) of thediffraction grating. Accordingly, fine movement stage positionmeasurement system 70C can measure the θz rotation (a position in the θzdirection) of fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) with high accuracy.

The information (positional information) measured by fine movement stageposition measurement system 70C is supplied to main controller 20, alongwith information (positional information) and the like measured by finemovement stage position measurement system 70B previously described.Main controller 20 can drive (position control) fine movement stage WFS1(or WFS2) (wafer stage WST2) within the XY plane based on positionalinformation from fine movement stage position measurement system 70B,while controlling the rotation of fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2)(wafer stage WST2) inside measurement station 300 of aligner 99 and itsneighboring area, based on positional information from fine movementstage position measurement system 70C.

FIG. 32 shows a block diagram showing an input/output relation of maincontroller 20, which centrally configures a control system of exposureapparatus 1100 and has overall control over each part. Main controller20 includes a workstation (or a microcomputer) and the like, and hasoverall control over each part of exposure apparatus 1100.

In the second embodiment, similar to exposure apparatus 100 of the firstembodiment previously described, in parallel with exposure to wafer W onfine movement stage WFS1, wafer exchange, wafer alignment, and the likeare performed on the other fine movement stage WFS2. Wafer exchange isperformed in a manner similar to exposure apparatus 100 of the firstembodiment previously described.

On wafer alignment, main controller 20 selects at least one of thefollowing two modes (each referred to as a precision priority mode and athroughput priority mode), depending on the alignment precision,throughput and the like which is required.

In the case the precision (alignment precision) of the wafer alignmentis considered important, the precision priority mode is selected. In theprecision priority mode, wafer alignment is performed using only primaryalignment system AL1.

In the following description, a wafer alignment procedure performed in acase of the precision priority mode will be described, to wafer W having43 shot areas arranged as shown in FIG. 33. Hereinafter, primaryalignment system AL1 will be shortly referred to as alignment systemAL1, as appropriate.

Main controller 20, first of all, measures the position (the position indirections of all six degrees of freedom) of fine movement stage WFS2using fine movement stage position measurement systems 70B and 70C asshown in FIG. 33, and drives fine movement stage WFS2 in the XYdirection while maintaining the θz rotation (position in the θzdirection) in a reference state based on based on the measurementresults, and positions measurement plate 86 on fine movement stage WFS2directly under alignment system AL1. At this point, Y heads 96 ₁₅ and 97₁₄ configuring fine movement stage position measurement system 70C areused to measure the θz rotation of fine movement stage WFS2 (refer tothe black circles in FIG. 33). After the positioning, main controller 20detects the second fiducial mark on measurement plate 86 using alignmentsystem AL1. Then, main controller 20 makes a link between a positioncoordinate (X, Y) of the second fiducial mark which uses the detectionresults, or namely, the detection center (the index center) of alignmentsystem AL1 as a reference, and measurement values of fine movement stageposition measurement system 70B at the time of the detection of thesecond fiducial mark, and stores them in memory (not shown).Incidentally, in the description below, explanation on positionmeasurement of wafer stage WST2 (fine movement stage WFS2) using finemovement stage position measurement system 70B will be omitted, expectwhen especially necessary.

After having detected the second fiducial mark, main controller 20 stepswafer stage WST2 to a position a predetermined distance in the −Ydirection and a predetermined distance in the +X direction as is shownby the outlined arrow in FIG. 34A, and positions one sample markarranged in the first shot area in the first row on wafer W so that thesample mark is within a detection field of alignment system AL1.Incidentally, the alignment mark is formed on a street (also called ascribe line) dividing the shot areas. In this case, main controller 20can move wafer stage WST2 linearly to the position shown in FIG. 34Afrom the position shown in FIG. 33, or can step wafer stage WST2 in theorder of the +X direction and then the −Y direction. After thepositioning, main controller 20 detects the sample mark using alignmentsystem AL1. At this point, Y heads 96 ₁₃ and 97 ₁₃ are used to measurethe θz rotation of fine movement stage WFS2 (refer to the black circlesin FIG. 34A).

Next, main controller 20 steps wafer stage WST2 in the −X direction asis shown by the outlined arrow in FIG. 34B, and positions one samplemark each arranged in the second and third shot areas in the first rowon wafer W sequentially, so that the sample marks are within a detectionfield of alignment system AL1, and detects the sample mark usingalignment system AL1 each time the positioning is performed. In theseries of this sample mark detection, Y heads 96 ₁₃ to 96 ₁₆, and 97 ₁₃to 97 ₁₆ are sequentially switched, and are used to measure the θzrotation of fine movement stage WFS2. This completes the detection ofthe sample marks in the shot areas of the first row.

Next, main controller 20 steps wafer stage WST2 by a predetermineddistance in the −Y direction and a predetermined distance in the −Xdirection as is shown by the outlined arrow in FIG. 35A, and positionsone sample mark arranged in the first shot area in the second row onwafer W so that the sample mark is within the detection field ofalignment system AL1. After the positioning, main controller 20 detectsthe sample mark using alignment system AL1. At this point, Y heads 96 ₁₈and 97 ₁₈ are used to measure the θz rotation of fine movement stageWFS2 (refer to the black circles in FIG. 35A).

Next, main controller 20 steps wafer stage WST2 in the +X direction asis shown by the outlined arrow in FIG. 35B, and positions one samplemark each arranged in the second to seventh shot areas in the second rowon wafer W so that the sample marks are sequentially within thedetection field of alignment system AL1. Then, main controller 20detects the sample mark using alignment system AL1 each time thepositioning is performed. In the series of this sample mark detection, Yheads 96 ₁₈ to 96 ₁₁, and 97 ₁₈ to 97 ₁₁ are sequentially switched, andare used to measure the θz rotation of fine movement stage WFS2. Thiscompletes the detection of the sample marks in the shot areas of thesecond row.

Next, main controller 20 performs detection of the sample marks in theshot areas of the third row, in a procedure similar to the detection ofthe sample marks in the shot areas of the second row. However, thedirection of the stepping drive of wafer stage WST2 will be reversed.Further, by driving wafer stage WST2 in the −Y direction prior to themark detection, the Y heads to be used (head units) will b switched fromY heads 96 ₁₁ to 96 ₁₈ to 96 ₁ to 96 ₁₀ (from head units 98C to 98A).Similarly, the Y heads to be used (head units) will b switched from Yheads 97 ₁₁ to 97 ₁₈ to 97 ₁ to 97 ₁₀ (from head units 98D to 98B).

And, when the detection of the sample marks in the shot areas of thethird row is completed, main controller 20 steps wafer stage WST2 fromthe position set at that point in time by a predetermined distance inthe −Y direction and a predetermined distance in the +X direction as isshown by the outlined arrow in FIG. 36A, and positions one sample markarranged in the first shot area in the fourth row on wafer W so that thesample mark is within the detection field of alignment system AL1. Afterthe positioning, main controller 20 detects the sample mark usingalignment system AL1. At this point, Y heads 9610 and 9710 are used tomeasure the θz rotation of fine movement stage WFS2 (refer to the blackcircles in FIG. 36A).

Next, main controller 20 steps wafer stage WST2 in the +X direction asis shown by the outlined arrow in FIG. 36B, and positions one samplemark each arranged in the second to ninth shot areas in the fourth rowon wafer W sequentially, so that the sample marks are within thedetection field of alignment system AL1. Then, main controller 20detects the sample mark using alignment system AL1 each time thepositioning is performed. In the series of this sample mark detection, Yheads 96 ₁₀ to 96 ₁, and 97 ₁₀ to 97 ₁ are sequentially switched, andare used to measure the θz rotation of fine movement stage WFS2. Thiscompletes the detection of the sample marks in the shot areas of thefourth row.

Furthermore, main controller 20 performs detection of the sample marksin the shot areas of the fifth and sixth rows, in a manner similar tothe detection of the sample marks in the shot areas of the third andsecond rows. Finally, main controller 20 performs detection of thesample marks in the shot areas of the seventh row, in a manner similarto the detection of the sample marks in the shot areas of the first row.

When detection of the sample marks in all of the shot areas is completedin the mariner described above, main controller 20 computes arraycoordinates (position coordinates) of all of the shot areas on wafer Wby performing a statistical computation which is disclosed in, forexample, U.S. Pat. No. 4,780,617 and the like, using detection resultsof the sample marks and measurement values of fine movement stageposition measurement system 70B at the time of the sample markdetection. More specifically, EGA (Enhanced Global Alignment) isperformed. Then, main controller 20 converts the computation results toan array coordinate (position coordinate) which uses a position of thesecond fiducial mark as a reference, using detection results of thesecond fiducial mark and measurement values of fine movement stageposition measurement system 70B at the time of the detection. This arraycoordinate will be used as a target position information when aligningall of the shot areas on wafer W to the exposure position, which is theprojection position of the pattern of reticle R, in the case ofexposure.

As described above, as for the Y-axis direction, main controller 20gradually steps wafer stage WST2 in the −Y direction, while drivingwafer stage WST2 reciprocally in the +X direction and the −X directionfor the X-axis direction, so as to detect the alignment marks (samplemarks) provided in all of the shot areas on wafer W. In this case,because only alignment system AL1 having a detection center at aposition (the XY position) the same as the reference point used onposition measurement by fine movement stage position measurement system70B is used in the precision priority mode, a one-to-one correspondencycan be obtained for all of (the reference points, e.g., center point,of) the shot areas on wafer W and each point on grating RG,respectively, which allows the best precision (the best alignmentprecision) on wafer alignment. In this case, even if grating RG isdeformed chronologically, because the one-to-one correspondency isobtained, an alignment error (an overlay error between a reticle patternand a shot area on wafer W) caused due to deformation of grating RG willnot occur in the case a shot area on wafer W is aligned with respect toexposure area IA, based on the results of the wafer alignment.

On the other hand, in the case the throughput is considered important,the throughput priority mode is selected. In the throughput prioritymode, wafer alignment is performed using the five alignment systems AL1,and AL2, to AL2 ₄. In this throughput priority mode, a wafer alignmentsimilar to the first embodiment previously described is performed.

In the following description, a wafer alignment procedure performed in acase of the throughput priority mode will be described, to wafer Whaving 43 shot areas arranged as shown in FIG. 33. In the followingdescription, the secondary alignment system will be shortly describedappropriately as an alignment system.

First of all, main controller 20 detects the second fiducial mark onmeasurement plate 86 using alignment system AL1, and then, makes a linkbetween a position coordinate (X, Y) of the second fiducial mark whichuses the detection center the index center) of alignment system AL1 as areference, and measurement values of fine movement stage positionmeasurement system 70B at the time of the detection of the secondfiducial mark, and stores them in memory not shown).

Next, main controller 20 drives fine movement stage WFS2 in the +Xdirection as is shown by the outlined arrow in FIG. 37A, and positionsmeasurement plate 86 on fine movement stage WFS2 right under alignmentsystem AL2 ₂. After the positioning, main controller 20 detects thesecond fiducial mark on measurement plate 86 using alignment system AL2₂. At this point, Y heads 96 ₁₂ and 97 ₁₂ of fine movement stageposition measurement system 70C are used to measure the θz rotation offine movement stage WFS2 (refer to the black circles in FIG. 37A).Similarly, main controller 20 detects the second fiducial mark usingalignment system AL2 ₁. (Incidentally, another mark whose positionalrelation with the second fiducial mark is known can be detected.) Then,main controller 20 makes a link between a position coordinate (X, Y) ofthe second fiducial mark which uses the detection results, or namely,the detection center (the index center) of alignment systems AL2 ₁ andAL2 ₂ as a reference, and measurement values of fine movement stageposition measurement system 70B at the time of the detection of thesecond fiducial mark, and stores them in memory (not shown).

Next, main controller 20 drives fine movement stage WFS2 in the −Xdirection as is shown by the outlined arrow in FIG. 37B, and positionsmeasurement plate 86 right under alignment system AL2 ₃. After thepositioning, main controller 20 detects the second fiducial mark usingalignment system AL2 ₃. At this point, Y heads 96 ₁₇ and 97 ₁₇configuring fine movement stage position measurement system 70C are usedto measure the θz rotation of fine movement stage WFS2 (refer to theblack circles in FIG. 37B). Similarly, main controller 20 detects thesecond fiducial mark using alignment system AL2 ₄. (Incidentally,another mark whose positional relation with the second fiducial mark isknown can be detected.) Then, main controller 20 makes a link between aposition coordinate (X, Y) of the second fiducial mark which uses thedetection results, or namely, the detection center (the index center) ofalignment systems AL2 ₃ and AL2 ₄ as a reference, and measurement valuesof fine movement stage position measurement system 70B at the time ofthe detection of the second fiducial mark, and stores them in memory(not shown).

Main controller 20 obtains a baseline of secondary alignment systems AL2₁ to AL2 ₄, namely, a relative position of a detection center ofsecondary alignment systems AL2 ₁ to AL2 ₄ with respect to a detectioncenter of primary alignment system AL1, using the detection resultsabove. Further, when necessary, main controller 20 drives and controlsthe holding apparatus (slider) previously described, and adjusts therelative position of the detection center of secondary alignment systemsAL2 ₁ to AL2 ₄.

After the baseline measurement, main controller 20 steps wafer stageWST2 to a position a predetermined distance in the −Y direction and apredetermined distance in the +X direction as is shown by the outlinedarrow in FIG. 38A, and positions one sample mark each arranged in thefirst and third shot areas in the first row on wafer W so that thesample marks are within a detection field of alignment systems AL2 ₂ andAL1. Main controller 20, in this case, can move wafer stage WST2directly (diagonally) from the position when detecting the secondfiducial mark using alignment system AL2 ₄ to the position shown in FIG.38A, or can step wafer stage WST2 in the order of the +X direction andthe −Y direction. After the positioning, main controller 20 detects thetwo sample marks simultaneously and individually, using alignmentsystems AL1 and AL2 ₂. At this point, Y heads 96 ₁₄ and 97 ₁₄ are usedto measure the θz rotation of fine movement stage WFS2 (refer to theblack circles in FIG. 38A).

Next, main controller 20 steps wafer stage WST2 in the −X direction asis shown by the outlined arrow in FIG. 38B, and positions one samplemark each arranged in the second and third shot areas in the first rowon wafer W so that the sample marks are within a detection field ofalignment systems AL1 and AL2 ₃, respectively. And, main controller 20detects the two sample marks simultaneously and individually, usingalignment systems AL1 and AL2 ₃. At this point, Y heads 96 ₁₅ and 97 ₁₅are used to measure the θz rotation of fine movement stage WFS2 (referto the black circles in FIG. 38B). This completes the detection of thesample marks in the shot areas of the first row.

Next, main controller 20 steps wafer stage WST2 by predetermineddistance in the −Y direction and a predetermined distance in the +Xdirection as is shown by the outlined arrow in FIG. 39A, and positionsone sample mark each arranged in the first, third, fifth, and seventhshot areas in the second row on wafer W so that the sample marks arewithin the detection field of alignment systems AL2 ₁, AL2 ₂, AL1, andAL2 ₃, respectively. After the positioning, main controller 20 detectsthe four sample marks simultaneously and individually, using alignmentsystems AL2 ₁, AL2 ₂, AL1, and AL2 ₃. At this point, Y heads 96 ₁₄ and97 ₁₄ are used to measure the θz rotation of fine movement stage WFS2(refer to the black circles in FIG. 39A).

Next, main controller 20 steps wafer stage WST2 in the −X direction asis shown by the outlined arrow in FIG. 39B, and positions one samplemark each arranged in the second, fourth, sixth, and seventh shot areasin the second row on wafer W so that the sample marks are within adetection field of alignment systems AL2 ₂, AL1, AL2 ₃, and AL2 ₄,respectively. After the positioning, main controller 20 detects the foursample marks simultaneously and individually, using alignment systemsAL2 ₂, AL1, AL2 ₃, and AL2 ₄. At this point, Y heads 96 ₁₅ and 97 ₁₅ areused to measure the θz rotation of fine movement stage WFS2 (refer tothe black circles in FIG. 395). This completes the detection of thesample marks in the shot areas of the second row.

Next, main controller 20 performs detection of the sample marks in theshot areas of the third row, in a procedure similar to the detection ofthe sample marks in the shot areas of the second row. However, thedirection of the stepping drive of wafer stage WST2 will be reversed.Further, by driving wafer stage WST2 in the −Y direction prior to themark detection, the Y heads to be used (head units) will b switched fromY heads 96 ₁₁ to 96 ₁₈ to 96 ₁ to 96 ₁₀ (from head units 96C to 98A).Similarly, the Y heads to be used (head units) will b switched from Yheads 97 ₁₁ to 97 ₁₈ to 97 ₁ to 97 ₁₀ (from head units 96D to 98B).

And, when the detection of the sample marks in the shot areas of thethird row is completed, main controller 20 steps wafer stage WST2 fromthe position set at that point in time to a position a predetermineddistance in the −Y direction and a predetermined distance in the +Xdirection as is shown by the outlined arrow in FIG. 40A, and positionsone sample mark each arranged in the first, third, fifth, seventh, andninth shot areas in the fourth row on wafer W so that the sample marksare within a detection field of alignment systems AL2 ₁, AL2 ₂, AL1, AL2₃, and AL2 ₄, respectively. After the position setting, main controller20 detects the five sample marks simultaneously and individually, usingalignment systems AL2 ₁, AL2 ₂, AL1, AL2 ₃, and AL2 ₄. At this point, Yheads 96 ₅ and 97 ₅ are used to measure the θz rotation of fine movementstage WFS2 (refer to the black circles in FIG. 40A).

Next, main controller 20 steps wafer stage WST2 in the −X direction asis shown by the outlined arrow in FIG. 40B, and positions one samplemark each arranged in the second, fourth, sixth, eighth, and ninth shotareas in the fourth row on wafer W so that the sample marks are within adetection field of alignment systems AL2 ₁, AL2 ₂, AL1, AL2 ₃, and AL2₄, respectively. And, main controller 20 detects the five sample markssimultaneously and individually, using alignment systems AL2 ₁, AL2 ₂,AL1, AL2 ₃, and AL2 ₄. At this point, Y heads 96 ₆ and 97 ₆ are used tomeasure the θz rotation of fine movement stage WFS2 (refer to the blackcircles in FIG. 40B). This completes the detection of the sample marksin the shot areas of the fourth row.

Furthermore, main controller 20 performs detection of the sample marksin the shot areas of the fifth and sixth rows, in a manner similar tothe detection of the sample marks in the shot areas of the third andsecond rows. Finally, main controller 20 performs detection of thesample marks in the shot areas of the seventh row, in a manner similarto the detection of the sample marks in the shot areas of the first row.

When detection of the sample marks in all of the shot areas is completedin the manner described above, main controller 20 computes arraycoordinates (position coordinates) of all of the shot areas on wafer Wby performing a statistical computation which is disclosed in, forexample, U.S. Pat. No. 4,780,617 and the like, using detection resultsof the sample marks, measurement values of fine movement stage positionmeasurement system 70B at the time of the sample mark detection, andresults of the baseline measurement. More specifically, EGA (EnhancedGlobal Alignment) is performed. Then, main controller 20 converts thecomputation results to an array coordinate (position coordinate) whichuses a position of the second fiducial mark as a reference, usingdetection results of the second fiducial mark and measurement values offine movement stage position measurement system 70B at the time of thedetection.

As described above, as for the Y-axis direction, main controller 20gradually steps wafer stage WST2 in the −Y direction, while drivingwafer stage WST2 reciprocally in the +X direction and the −X directionfor the X-axis direction, so as to detect the alignment marks (samplemarks) provided in all of the shot areas on wafer W. In this case, inexposure apparatus 1100 of the embodiment, because five alignmentsystems AL1, and AL2 ₁ to AL2 ₄ can be used, the distance of thereciprocal drive in the X-axis direction is short, and the number oftimes of position setting in one reciprocal movement is few, which istwo times. Therefore, alignment marks can be detected in quite a shortamount of time when compared with the case when using a single alignmentsystem. In this case as well, because alignment marks arranged in allthe shot areas on wafer W are detected and the positional relation ofalignment systems AL1, and AL2 ₁ to AL2 ₄ used for the detection of thealignment marks is obtained, a one-to-one correspondency can besubstantially obtained for all of (the reference points, e.g., centerpoint, of) the shot areas on wafer W and each point on grating RG,respectively. Accordingly, an alignment error (an overlay error betweena reticle pattern and a shot area on wafer W) of a level which cannot beignored that is caused due to deformation of grating RG hardly occurs inthe case a shot area on wafer W is aligned with respect to exposure areaIA, based on the results of the wafer alignment.

Incidentally, while the five alignment systems AL1, and AL2 ₁ to AL2 ₄were used in the wafer alignment in the throughput priority modedescribed above, as well as this, for example, three alignment systemsAL1, AL2 ₁, and AL2 ₂ can be used. Main controller 20 selects thealignment systems to be used, depending on the alignment precision,throughput, and the like which is required.

In the parallel processing of exposure to wafer W held by fine movementstage WFS1 by the step-and-scan method and wafer alignment to wafer W onfine movement stage WFS2, the wafer alignment is usually completedfirst. Main controller 20 waits for the exposure of wafer W on finemovement stage WFS1 to be completed, in a state where wafer stage WST2is waiting at a predetermined waiting position.

Main controller 20 drives movable blade BL downward by a predeterminedamount as is previously described, prior to the completion of exposure.

Then, when the exposure has been completed, main controller 20 starts todeliver the liquid immersion space from fine movement stage WFS1 tomovable blade BL as shown in FIG. 41. This delivery is performed in aprocedure similar to the one described in the first embodiment.

Then, when the delivery of the liquid immersion space from fine movementstage WFS1 to movable blade BL is completed as shown in FIG. 42, maincontroller 20 drives coarse movement stage WCS1 holding fine movementstage WFS1 further in the +X direction, and moves coarse movement stageWCS1 near coarse movement stage WCS2, which is waiting at the waitingposition previously described while holding fine movement stage WFS2.This allows fine movement stage WFS1 to be carried right above centertable 130 by coarse movement stage WCS1. At this point, a state occurswhere coarse movement stage WCS1 houses center table 130 in its internalspace, and also supports fine movement stage WFS1 right above centertable 130, as shown in FIG. 43. FIG. 44 shows a state of exposureapparatus 1100 at this point in a planar view. However, illustration ofmovable blade BL is omitted. The same is true also in other drawings.

Then, main controller 20 drives table main body 136 upward via drivedevice 132 of center table 130, and supports fine movement stage WFS1from below. And, in this state, main controller 20 releases the lockmechanism (not shown), and separates coarse movement stage WCS1 into thefirst section WCS1 a and the second section WCS1 b, via coarse movementstage drive systems 51Aa and 51Ab. By this operation, fine movementstage WFS1 is passed to table main section 136 from coarse movementstage WCS1. Thus, main controller 20 drives table main body 136supporting fine movement stage WFS1 downward, via drive device 132.

And then, main controller 20 locks the lock mechanism (not shown) afterthe first section WCS1 a and the second section WCS1 b are joinedtogether. This allows coarse movement stage WCS1 to return to the statebefore the separation (to be integrated).

Next, main controller 20 makes coarse movement stage WCS2 almost comeinto contact with coarse movement stage WCS1 which has been integrated,and also drives fine movement stage WFS2 in the −Y direction via finemovement stage drive systems 52A and 52B, and moves and mounts (a slidemovement) fine movement stage WFS2 from coarse movement stage WCS2 ontocoarse movement stage WCS1.

Next, main controller 20 makes coarse movement stage WCS1 which supportsfine movement stage WFS2 move in the −Y direction as is shown by theoutlined arrow in FIG. 45, and delivers the liquid immersion space heldwith tip lens 191 from movable blade BL to fine movement stage WFS2. Thedelivery of this liquid immersion space (liquid Lq) is performed byreversing the procedure of the delivery of the liquid immersion areafrom fine movement stage WFS1 to movable blade BL previously described.

Then, main controller 20 drives coarse movement stage WCS1 which holdsfine movement stage WFS2 to exposure station 200, and then, exposureoperation by the step-and-scan method is performed based on reticlealignment, results of the reticle alignment, and results of waferalignment (array coordinates which are based on second fiducial marks ofeach shot area on wafer W).

In parallel with exposure to wafer W on fine movement stage WFS2described above, wafer exchange, wafer alignment, and the like areperformed on fine movement stage WFS1, similar to the fine movementstage WFS2 side previously described. Hereinafter, a processing similarto the one described above is repeatedly performed.

As is described in detail above, according to exposure apparatus 1100 ofthe second embodiment, an equivalent effect can be obtained as in thefirst embodiment previously described. In addition, according toexposure apparatus 1100 of the second embodiment, in the case maincontroller 20 selects the precision priority mode on wafer alignment,main controller 20 detects one or more alignment marks arranged in eachof all the shot areas on wafer W held by fine movement stage WFS2 usingonly primary alignment system AL1, which has a detection center at aposition (an XY position) the same as the reference point used onposition measurement by fine movement stage position measurement system70B, while measuring the position of fine movement stage WFS2 using finemovement stage position measurement system 70B. On detecting eachalignment mark, main controller 20 uses fine movement stage positionmeasurement system 70C to measure the θz rotation of fine movement stageWFS2, and performs rotation control of fine movement stage WFS2 usingthe results. Accordingly, by driving fine movement stage WFS2 based onresults of the wafer alignment in the precision priority mode in thecase of exposure, alignment of all the shot areas on wafer W to theexposure position with high precision becomes possible, which in turnallows a highly precise overlay of each of all the shot areas with thereticle pattern.

Further, in the case main controller 20 selects the throughput prioritymode on wafer alignment, main controller 20 detects one or morealignment marks arranged in each of all the shot areas on wafer W heldby fine movement stage WFS2 using primary alignment system AL1, whichhas a detection center at a position (an XY position) the same as thereference point used on position measurement by fine movement stageposition measurement system 70B, and secondary alignment systems AL2 ₁to AL2 ₄, having detection centers that have a known positional relationwith the detection center of primary alignment system AL1. By drivingfine movement stage WFS2 in the case of exposure based on the results ofthe wafer alignment in the throughput priority move, it becomes possibleto achieve a sufficient overlay accuracy at a sufficient throughput.

Incidentally, in the second embodiment described above, an example of acase where fine movement stage position measurement system 70C whichmeasures the θz position of fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) isconfigured by Y heads 96 and 97 (head units 98A to 98B) placed aroundaligner 99 (alignment systems AL1, and AL2 ₁ to AL2 ₄), and Y scales87Y₁ and 87Y₂ provided on fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) wasindicated. However, as well as this, for example, a configuration usinggrating RG can also be employed, instead of Y scales 87Y₁ and 87Y₂. FIG.46 shows an example of a case when such a configuration is employed in afine movement stage position measurement system. In FIG. 46, grating RGpreviously described is formed on almost the entire area of the uppersurface of main body section 81 of fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2),and in an area on the upper surface of main body section 81 (plate 83)corresponding to the placement area of Y scales 87Y1 and 87Y2, a liquidrepellent treatment is not applied (a liquid repellent surface is notformed). In this case, each of the Y heads 96 and 97 irradiate ameasurement beam on grating RG from above (the +Z side) via plate 83 andcover glass 84 (refer to FIG. 29A), receive the diffraction light whichoccurs from a Y diffraction grating of grating RG, and measure a Yposition of grating RG (more specifically, fine movement stage WFS1 (orWFS2)) in the +X end and −X end. Accordingly, the θz rotation of finemovement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) can be obtained, based on the measurementresults of Y heads 96 and 97.

Further, in the embodiment above, while an example of a case where finemovement stage position measurement system 70B is equipped with a singlemeasurement arm 71B whose measurement reference point is at the sameposition (XY position) as the detection center of primary alignmentsystem AL1 was indicated, as well as this, a fine movement stageposition measurement system 70B that is further equipped with fourmeasurement arms 71B₁ to 71B₄, which are each equipped with an encodersystem (a head section which includes at least one X head and one Y headeach) in addition to measurement arm 71B can be used, as shown in FIG.47. The encoder system which four measurement arms 71B₁ to 71B₄ are eachequipped with, uses the same position (XY position) as the detectioncenter of secondary alignment systems AL2 ₁ to AL2 ₄, respectively, as ameasurement reference point. Further, by performing a wafer alignment(in the throughput priority mode) using fine movement stage positionmeasurement system 70B equipped with measurement arms 71B₁ to 71B₄,alignment precision at the same level as the precision priority mode andhigh throughput at the same level as the throughput priority mode can beachieved at the same time.

Incidentally, while in each of the first and second embodimentsdescribed above (hereinafter shortly referred to as each of theembodiments), one alignment mark each arranged in each of all the shotareas on wafer W was detected on wafer alignment, as well as this, thenumber of alignment marks to be detected can be selected according tothe alignment precision, throughput and the like which are required.

Incidentally, in each of the embodiments above, while the case has beendescribed where fine movement stage position measurement systems 70A and70B are made entirely of, for example, glass, and are equipped withmeasurement arms 71A and 71B in which light can proceed inside, thepresent invention is not limited to this. For example, at least only thepart where each of the laser beams previously described proceed in themeasurement arm has to be made of a solid member which can pass throughlight, and the other sections, for example, can be a member that doesnot transmit light, and can have a hollow structure. Further, as ameasurement arm, for example, a light source or a photodetector can bebuilt in the tip of the measurement arm, as long as a measurement beamcan be irradiated from the section facing the grating. In this case, themeasurement beam of the encoder does not have to proceed inside themeasurement arm.

Further, in the measurement arm, the part (beam optical path segment)where each laser beam proceeds can be hollow. Or, in the case ofemploying a grating interference type encoder system as the encodersystem, the optical member on which the diffraction grating is formedonly has to be provided on an arm that has low thermal expansion, suchas for example, ceramics, Invar and the like. This is because especiallyin an encoder system, the space where the beam separates is extremelynarrow (short) so that the system is not affected by air fluctuation asmuch as possible. Furthermore, in this case, the temperature can bestabilized by supplying gas whose temperature has been controlled to thespace between fine movement stage (wafer holder) and the measurement arm(and beam optical path). Furthermore, the measurement arm need not haveany particular shape.

Incidentally, in each of the embodiments above, while the case has beendescribed where measurement arms 71A and 71B are both provided on mathframe BD, as well as this, measurement arms 71A and 71B and mainframe BDmay be provided in different support members. For example, theprojection system (projection unit PU) and the alignment system (aligner99) can be supported by different support devices, and measurement arm71A can be provided in the support device of the projection systemwhereas measurement arm 71B can be provided in support device of thealignment system.

Incidentally, in each of the embodiments above, because measurement arms71A and 71B are fixed to main frame BD integrally, torsion and the likemay occur due to internal stress (including thermal stress) inmeasurement arms 71A and 71B, which may change the relative positionbetween measurement arms 71A and 71B, and main frame BD. Therefore, ascountermeasures against such cases, the position of measurement arms 71Aand 71B (a change in a relative position with respect to main frame BD,or a change of position with respect to a reference position) can bemeasured, and the position of measurement arms 71A and 71B can be finelyadjusted, or the measurement results corrected, with actuators and thelike.

Further, in each of the embodiments above, while the case has beendescribed where measurement arms 71A and 71B are integral with mainframe BD, as well as this, measurement arms 71A and 71B and mainframe BDmay be separated. In this case, a measurement device (for example, anencoder and/or an interferometer) which measures a position (ordisplacement) of measurement arms 71A and 71B with respect to main frameBD (or a reference position), and an actuator and the like to adjust aposition of measurement arms 71A and 71B can be provided, and maincontroller 20 as well as other controllers can maintain a positionalrelation between main frame BD (and projection optical system PL) andmeasurement arms 71A and 71B at a predetermined relation (for example,constant), based on measurement results of the measurement device.

Further, a measurement system (sensor), a temperature sensor, a pressuresensor, an acceleration sensor for vibration measurement and the likecan be provided in measurement arms 71A and 71B, so as to measure avariation in measurement arms 71A and 71B by an optical technique. Or, adistortion sensor (strain gauge) or a displacement sensor can beprovided, so as to measure a variation in measurement arms 71A and 71B.And, by using the values obtained by these sensors, positionalinformation obtained by fine movement stage position measurement system70A and/or wafer stage position measurement system 68A, or fine movementstage position measurement system 70B and/or wafer stage positionmeasurement system 68B can be corrected.

Further, in the embodiment above, while the case has been describedwhere measurement arm 71A (or 71B) is supported in a cantilevered statevia one support member 72A (or 72B) from mainframe BD, as well as this,for example, measurement arm 71A (or 71B) can be supported by suspensionfrom main frame BD via a U-shaped suspension section, including twosuspension members which are arranged apart in the X-axis direction. Inthis case, it is desirable to set the distance between the twosuspension members so that the fine movement stage can move in betweenthe two suspension members.

Further, in each of the embodiments above, while the case has beendescribed where fine movement stage position measurement systems 70A and70B are equipped with measurement arms 71A and 71B which are supportedin a cantilevered state, respectively, fine movement stage positionmeasurement systems 70A and 70B do not necessarily have to be equippedwith a measurement arm. In other words, it will suffice as long as atleast one of the first measurement system and the second measurementsystem corresponding to fine movement stage position measurement systems70A and 70B has a head which is placed facing grating RG inside thespace of coarse movement stages WCS1 and WCS2 and receives a diffractionlight from grating RG of at least one measurement beam irradiated ongrating RG, and can measure the positional information of fine movementstage WFS1 (or WFS2) at least within the XY plane, based on the outputof the head. In other words, the first measurement system (fine movementstage position measurement system 70A in the embodiment above isequivalent to this) can have any configuration, as long as when aholding member (fine movement stage) comes to an exposure station, thesystem can irradiate at least one first measurement beam from below onthe holding member, receive a return light of the first measurementbeam, and measure the positional information in the XY plane of theholding member. Further, the second measurement system (fine movementstage position measurement system 70B in each of the embodiments aboveis equivalent to this) can have any configuration, as long as when aholding member (fine movement stage) comes to a measurement station, thesystem can irradiate at least one second measurement beam from below onthe holding member, receive a return light of the second measurementbeam, and measure the positional information in the XY plane of theholding member.

Further, in each of the embodiments above, while an example has beenshown where encoder system 73 is equipped with an X head and a pair of Yheads, besides this, for example, one or two two-dimensional heads (2Dheads) whose measurement directions are in two directions, which are theX-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, can be provided. In the casetwo 2D heads are provided, detection points of the two heads can bearranged to be two points which are spaced equally apart in the X-axisdirection on the grating, with the exposure position serving as thecenter.

Incidentally, fine movement stage position measurement system 70A canmeasure positional information in directions of six degrees of freedomof the fine movement stage only by using encoder system 73, withoutbeing equipped with laser interferometer system 75. Besides this, anencoder which can measure positional information in at least one of theX-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction canalso be used. For example, by irradiating measurement beams from a totalof three encoders including an encoder which can measure positionalinformation in the X-axis direction and the Z-axis direction and anencoder which can measure positional information in the Y-axis directionand the Z-axis direction, on three measurement points that arenoncollinear, and receiving the return lights, positional information ofthe movable body on which grating RG is provided can be measured indirections of six degrees of freedom. Further, the configuration ofencoder system 73 is not limited to the embodiment described above, andis arbitrary.

Incidentally, in each of the embodiments above, while the grating wasplaced on the upper surface of the fine movement stage, that is, asurface that faces the wafer, as well as this, the grating can be formedon a wafer holder holding the wafer. In this case, even when a waferholder expands or an installing position to the fine movement stageshifts during exposure, this can be followed up when measuring theposition of the wafer holder (wafer). Further, the grating can be placedon the lower surface of the fine movement stage, and in this case, thefine movement stage does not have to be a solid member through whichlight can pass because the measurement beam irradiated from the encoderhead does not proceed inside the fine movement stage, and fine movementstage can have a hollow structure with the piping, wiring and likeplaced inside, which allows the weight of the fine movement stage to bereduced.

Incidentally, in the embodiments above, while an encoder system was usedin which measurement beams proceeded inside of measurement arms 71A and71B and were irradiated on grating RG of the fine movement stage frombelow, as well as this, an encoder system can be used which has anoptical system (such as a beam splitter) of an encoder head provided inthe measurement arm, and the optical system and a light source can beconnected by an optical fiber, which allows a laser beam to betransmitted from the light source to the optical system via the opticalfiber, and/or the optical system and a photodetection section can beconnected by an optical fiber, and the optical fiber allows a returnlight from grating RG to be transmitted from the optical system to thephotodetection system.

Further, in the embodiment above, while the case has been describedwhere coarse movement stages WCS1 and WCS2 were separable into the firstsection and the second section as well as the first section and thesecond section being engageable, besides this, the first section and thesecond section may have any type of arrangement, even when the firstsection and the second section are physically constantly apart, as longas they are reciprocally approachable and dividable, and on separation,a holding member (the fine movement stage in the embodiment above) isdetachable, whereas when the distance is closed, the holding member issupportable.

Further, the drive mechanism of driving the fine movement stage withrespect to the coarse movement stage is not limited to the mechanismdescribed in each of the embodiments above. For example, in theembodiment, while the coil which drives the fine movement stage in theY-axis direction also functioned as a coil which drives fine movementstage in the Z-axis direction, besides this, an actuator (linear motor)which drives the fine movement stage in the Y-axis direction and anactuator which drives the fine movement stage in the Z-axis direction,or more specifically, levitates the fine movement stage, can each beprovided independently. In this case, because it is possible to make aconstant levitation force act on the fine movement stage, the positionof the fine movement stage in the Z-axis direction becomes stable.Incidentally, in the embodiments above, while the case has beendescribed where mover sections 82 a and 82 b equipped in the finemovement stage have a U shape in a side view, as a matter of course, themover section, as well as the stator section, equipped in the linearmotor that drives the fine movement stage do not have to be U shaped.

Incidentally, in each of the embodiments above, while fine movementstages WFS1 and WFS2 are supported in a noncontact manner by coarsemovement stage WCS1 or WCS2 by the action of the Lorentz force(electromagnetic force) besides this, for example, a vacuum preload typehydrostatic air bearings and the like can be arranged on fine movementstages WFS1 and WFS2 so that the stages are supported by levitation withrespect to coarse movement stage WCS1 or WCS2. Further, in theembodiment above, while fine movement stages WFS1 and WFS2 could bedriven in directions of all 6 degrees of freedom, the present inventionis not limited to this, and fine movement stages WFS1 and WFS2 onlyneeds to be able to move within a two-dimensional plane which isparallel to the XY plane. Further, fine movement stage drive systems 52Aand 52B are not limited to the magnet moving type described above, andcan also be a moving coil type as well. Furthermore, fine movementstages WFS1 and WFS2 can also be supported in contact with coarsemovement stage WCS1 or WCS2. Accordingly, as the fine movement stagedrive system which drives fine movement stages WFS1 and WFS2 withrespect to coarse movement stage WCS1 or WCS2, for example, a rotarymotor and a ball screw (or a feed screw) can also be combined for use.

Incidentally, in each of the embodiments above, the fine movement stageposition measurement system can be configured so that positionmeasurement is possible within the total movement range of the waferstage. In this case, wafer stage position measurement system will not berequired. Further, in the embodiment above, base board 12 can be acounter mass which can move by an operation of a reaction force of thedrive force of the wafer stage. In this case, coarse movement stage doesnot have to be used as a counter mass, or when the coarse movement stageis used as a counter mass as in the embodiment described above, theweight of the coarse movement stage can be reduced.

Further, in each of the embodiments above, while the case has beendescribed where an alignment mark measurement (wafer alignment) wasperformed as an example of measurement to wafer W in measurement station300, as well as this (or instead of this), a surface positionmeasurement to measure a position the wafer W surface in an optical axisdirection AX of projection optical system PL can be performed. In thiscase, a surface position measurement of the upper surface of finemovement stage holding a wafer can be performed simultaneously with thesurface position measurement as is disclosed in, for example, U.S.Patent Application Publication No. 2008/0088843 specification, and focusleveling control of wafer W at the time of exposure can be performed,using the results.

Incidentally, the wafer used in the exposure apparatus of the embodimentabove is not limited to the 450 mm wafer, and can be a wafer of asmaller size (such as a 300 mm wafer).

Further, in each of the embodiments above, the case has been describedwhere the exposure apparatus is a liquid immersion type exposureapparatus. However, the present invention is not limited to this, butcan also be applied suitably in a dry type exposure apparatus thatperforms exposure of wafer W without liquid (water).

Incidentally, in the embodiment above, the case has been described wherethe present invention is applied to a scanning stepper; however, thepresent invention is not limited to this, and can also be applied to astatic exposure apparatus such as a stepper. Even in the case of astepper, by measuring the position of a stage on which the objectsubject to exposure is mounted using an encoder, position measurementerror caused by air fluctuation can substantially be nulled, which isdifferent from when measuring the position of this stage using aninterferometer, and it becomes possible to position the stage with highprecision based on the measurement values of the encoder, which in turnmakes it possible to transfer a reticle pattern on the object with highprecision. Further, the present invention can also be applied to areduction projection exposure apparatus by a step-and-stitch method thatsynthesizes a shot area and a shot area.

Further, the magnification of the projection optical system in theexposure apparatus of the embodiment above is not only a reductionsystem, but also may be either an equal magnifying system or amagnifying system, and projection optical system PL is not only adioptric system, but also may be either a catoptric system or acatadioptric system, and in addition, this projected image may be eitheran inverted image or an upright image.

In addition, the illumination light IL is not limited to ArF excimerlaser light (with a wavelength of 193 nm), but may be ultraviolet light,such as KrF excimer laser light (with a wavelength of 248 nm), or vacuumultraviolet light, such as F₂ laser light (with a wavelength of 157 nm).As disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,023,610, a harmonic wave,which is obtained by amplifying a single-wavelength laser beam in theinfrared or visible range emitted by a DFB semiconductor laser or fiberlaser, with a fiber amplifier doped with, for example, erbium (or botherbium and ytteribium), and by converting the wavelength intoultraviolet light using a nonlinear optical crystal, can also be used asvacuum ultraviolet light.

Further, in the exposure apparatus of the present invention,illumination light IL is not limited to the light having a wavelengthequal to or more than 100 nm, and it is needless to say that the lighthaving a wavelength less than 100 nm can be used. For example, thepresent invention can be applied to an EUV exposure apparatus that usesan EUV (Extreme Ultraviolet) light in a soft X-ray range (e.g. awavelength range from 5 to 15 nm). In addition, the present inventioncan also be applied to an exposure apparatus that uses charged particlebeams such as an electron beam or an ion beam.

Further, in each of the embodiments above, a transmissive type mask(reticle) is used, which is a transmissive substrate on which apredetermined light shielding pattern (or a phase pattern or a lightattenuation pattern) is formed. Instead of this reticle, however, as isdisclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,778,257 description, anelectron mask (which is also called a variable shaped mask, an activemask or an image generator, and includes, for example, a DMD (DigitalMicromirror Device) that is a type of a non-emission type image displaydevice (spatial light modulator) or the like) on which alight-transmitting pattern, a reflection pattern, or an emission patternis formed according to electronic data of the pattern that is to beexposed can also be used. In the case of using such a variable shapedmask, because the stage where a wafer, a glass plate or the like ismounted is scanned with respect to the variable shaped mask, anequivalent effect as each of the embodiments above can be obtained bymeasuring the position of this stage using an encoder system and a laserinterferometer system.

Further, as is disclosed, in, for example, PCT International PublicationNo. 2001/035168, the present invention can also be applied to anexposure apparatus (lithography system) that forms line-and-spacepatterns on a wafer W by forming interference fringes on wafer W.

Moreover, as disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,611,316, thepresent invention can also be applied to an exposure apparatus thatsynthesizes two reticle patterns via a projection optical system andalmost simultaneously performs double exposure of one shot area by onescanning exposure.

Incidentally, an object on which a pattern is to be formed (an objectsubject to exposure to which an energy beam is irradiated) in theexposure apparatus of the present invention is not limited to a wafer,but may be other objects such as a glass plate, a ceramic substrate, afilm member, or a mask blank.

In addition, the application of the exposure apparatus is not limited toan exposure apparatus for fabricating semiconductor devices, but can bewidely adapted to, for example, an exposure apparatus for fabricatingliquid crystal devices, wherein a liquid crystal display device patternis transferred to a rectangular glass plate, as well as to exposureapparatuses for fabricating organic electroluminescent displays, thinfilm magnetic heads, image capturing devices (e.g., CCDs),micromachines, and DNA chips. In addition to fabricating microdeviceslike semiconductor devices, the present invention can also be adapted toan exposure apparatus that transfers a circuit pattern to a glasssubstrate, a silicon wafer, or the like in order to fabricate a reticleor a mask used by a visible light exposure apparatus, an EUV exposureapparatus, an X-ray exposure apparatus, an electron beam exposureapparatus, and the like.

Incidentally, the disclosures of all publications, the PCT InternationalPublications, the U.S. Patent Applications and the U.S. patents that arecited in the description so far related to exposure apparatuses and thelike are each incorporated herein by reference.

Electronic devices such as semiconductor devices are manufacturedthrough the steps of; a step where the function/performance design ofthe device is performed, a step where a reticle based on the design stepis manufactured, a step where a wafer is manufactured from siliconmaterials, a lithography step where the pattern of a mask (the reticle)is transferred onto the wafer by the exposure apparatus (patternformation apparatus) and the exposure method in each of the embodimentspreviously described, a development step where the wafer that has beenexposed is developed, an etching step where an exposed member of an areaother than the area where the resist remains is removed by etching, aresist removing step where the resist that is no longer necessary whenetching has been completed is removed, a device assembly step (includinga dicing process, a bonding process, the package process), inspectionsteps and the like. In this case, in the lithography step, because thedevice pattern is formed on the wafer by executing the exposure methodpreviously described using the exposure apparatus in each of theembodiments above, a highly integrated device can be produced with goodproductivity.

While the above-described embodiments of the present invention are thepresently preferred embodiments thereof, those skilled in the art oflithography systems will readily recognize that numerous additions,modifications, and substitutions may be made to the above-describedembodiments without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. It isintended that all such modifications, additions, and substitutions fallwithin the scope of the present invention, which is best defined by theclaims appended below.

What is claimed is:
 1. An exposure apparatus that exposes an object withan energy beam, the apparatus comprising: a holding member which holdsthe object, and is also movable at least within a two-dimensional planeincluding a first axis and a second axis that are orthogonal to eachother; an exposure station in which an exposure processing to irradiatethe energy beam on the object is performed, the exposure station havinga first measurement system that irradiates at least one firstmeasurement beam from below on the holding member, receives a returnlight of the first measurement beam and measures positional informationof the holding member within the two-dimensional plane when the holdingmember is in a first area; and a measurement station which is placedaway from the exposure station on one side in a direction parallel tothe first axis and in which a measurement processing on the object isperformed, the measurement station having a second measurement systemthat irradiates at least one second measurement beam from below on theholding member, receives a return light of the second measurement beamand measures positional information of the holding member within thetwo-dimensional plane when the holding member is in a second area,wherein the measurement station includes a plurality of mark detectionsystems, which has detection areas placed apart in a direction parallelto the second axis, and detects different marks, respectively, on theobject.
 2. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein thedetection areas of the plurality of mark detection systems are set alonga direction parallel to the second axis.
 3. The exposure apparatusaccording to claim 1, wherein a relative position of the detection areasof the plurality of mark detection systems is variable at least in adirection parallel to the second axis.
 4. The exposure apparatusaccording to claim 1, wherein the plurality of mark detection systemsincludes a first mark detection system having the detection area whichis fixed and a second mark detection system having the detection areawhose position can be adjusted at least in a direction parallel to thesecond axis.
 5. The exposure apparatus according to claim 4, wherein theplurality of mark detection systems include at least a pair of thesecond mark detection systems whose detection centers can be setsymmetrically with respect to a detection center of the first markdetection system.
 6. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1,further comprising: a controller which makes the holding member move ina direction parallel to the first axis at the time of a detectionoperation by the plurality of mark detection systems.
 7. The exposureapparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a controller whichdetects every group of a plurality of groups of marks whose positions ina direction parallel to the first axis on the object are different bymoving the holding member in a direction parallel to the first axis,using the plurality of mark detection systems, whereby of the pluralityof groups of marks, at least one group of marks includes a plurality ofmarks whose positions are different in a direction parallel to thesecond axis.
 8. The exposure apparatus according to claim 7, wherein thecontroller moves the holding member in a direction parallel to thesecond axis and detects the plurality of marks, using the plurality ofmark detection systems.
 9. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1,wherein a measurement plane is provided on a plane substantiallyparallel to the two-dimensional plane of the holding member, and thefirst measurement system irradiates at least one first measurement beamfrom below on the measurement plane of the holding member located in thefirst area, and the second measurement system irradiates at least onesecond measurement beam from below on the measurement plane of theholding member located in the second area.
 10. The exposure apparatusaccording to claim 9, further comprising: a first movable body which ismovable within the two-dimensional plane, and movably supports theholding member, wherein the first measurement system has a firstmeasurement member in which at least a part of a first head thatirradiates the first measurement beam on the measurement plane of theholding member supported by the first movable body and receives a returnlight of the first measurement beam is provided.
 11. The exposureapparatus according to claim 10, further comprising: a second movablebody which is movable within the two-dimensional plane independentlyfrom the first movable body, and movably supports the holding member,wherein the second measurement system has a second measurement member inwhich at least a part of a second head that irradiates the secondmeasurement beam on the measurement plane of the holding membersupported by the second movable body and receives a return light of thesecond measurement beam is provided.
 12. The exposure apparatusaccording to claim 11, wherein the first and the second movable bodieseach have a space inside, the first measurement member is a firstsupport member which can be inserted inside the space of the firstmovable body from a direction parallel to the first axis, and extends inthe direction parallel to the first axis, and the second measurementmember is a second support member which can be inserted inside the spaceof the second movable body from a direction parallel to the first axis,and extends in the direction parallel to the first axis.
 13. Theexposure apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the first supportmember is inserted into the space inside the first movable body from oneside of a direction parallel to the first axis, and the second supportmember is inserted into the space inside the second movable body fromthe other side of the direction parallel to the first axis.
 14. Anexposure apparatus that exposes an object with an energy beam via aprojection optical system, the apparatus comprising: a frame structureto support the projection optical system; a base member placed under theprojection optical system supported by the frame structure, and having asurface placed substantially parallel to a two-dimensional planeorthogonal to an optical axis of the projection optical system; aholding member having a mounting area of the object and a measurementplane and being movable on the base member, the measurement plane beingplaced lower than the mounting area and having a grating; an exposurestation in which an exposure processing to irradiate the energy beam onthe object via the projection optical system is performed, the exposurestation having a first measurement member and a first measurementsystem, the first measurement member being supported by the framestructure, a part of the first measurement member being placed under theprojection optical system, and the first measurement system measuringpositional information of the holding member by irradiating themeasurement plane with a first measurement beam from below via a firsthead section that is provided at the first measurement member to beplaced between a surface of the base member and the measurement plane; ameasurement station which has a detection system distanced from theprojection optical system and supported by the frame structure, and inwhich a measurement processing of the object by the detection system isperformed, the measurement station having a second measurement memberand a second measurement system, the second measurement member beingsupported by the frame structure, a part of the second measurementmember being placed under the detection system, and the secondmeasurement system measuring positional information of the holdingmember by irradiating the measurement plane with a second measurementbeam from below via a second head section that is provided at the secondmeasurement member to be placed between the surface of the base memberand the measurement plane; and a controller coupled to the first and thesecond measurement systems, that controls movement of the holding memberbased on the positional information measured by the first measurementsystem in the exposure station and controls movement of the holdingmember based on the positional information measured by the secondmeasurement system in the measurement station.
 15. The exposureapparatus according to claim 14, further comprising: a liquid immersiondevice which has a liquid immersion member that supplies liquid tobetween the projection optical system and the holding member.
 16. Theexposure apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising: a shuttermember which holds the liquid with the liquid immersion member.
 17. Theexposure apparatus according to claim 14, wherein on the measurementplane, a reflective two-dimensional grating is formed, and the first andthe second measurement systems respectively detect the first and thesecond measurement beams reflected off the measurement plane, via thefirst and the second head sections, respectively.
 18. The exposureapparatus according to claim 17, wherein a size of a formation area ofthe two-dimensional grating is larger than a size of the object held bythe holding member.
 19. The exposure apparatus according to claim 17,wherein the first measurement system has a detection point irradiatedwith the first measurement beam, within an exposure area that isirradiated with the energy beam via the projection optical system, in afirst direction and a second direction orthogonal to each other withinthe two-dimensional plane.
 20. The exposure apparatus according to claim19, wherein the detection point substantially coincides with a center ofthe exposure area.
 21. The exposure apparatus according to claim 19,wherein the first measurement system irradiates the measurement planewith a plurality of first measurement beams that include the firstmeasurement beam, and the plurality of first measurement beams areirradiated on a plurality of detection points, respectively, positionsof the plurality of detection points being different in at least one ofthe first direction and the second direction.
 22. The exposure apparatusaccording to claim 21, wherein the first measurement system measures thepositional information of the holding member in directions of sixdegrees of freedom that include the first and the second directions anda third direction orthogonal to the first and the second directions. 23.The exposure apparatus according to claim 22, wherein one of theplurality of detection points substantially coincides with a center ofthe exposure area.
 24. The exposure apparatus according to claim 23,wherein the plurality of detection points include a pair of detectionpoints that are placed substantially symmetrical with respect to thecenter in the exposure area.
 25. The exposure apparatus according toclaim 22, wherein the exposure station and the measurement station areplaced so that a position of the exposure station and a position of themeasurement station are different in the first direction of thetwo-dimensional plane, a part of the first measurement member isarranged extending in the first direction under the projection opticalsystem, and a part of the second measurement member is arrangedextending in the first direction under the detection system.
 26. Theexposure apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the first measurementmember is provided with the first head section on one side in the firstdirection and is supported on an other side in the first direction bythe frame structure, and the second measurement member is provided withthe second head section on the other side in the first direction and issupported on the one side in the first direction by the frame structure.27. The exposure apparatus according to claim 26, wherein each of thefirst and the second measurement members is supported only on one endside in the first direction by the frame structure.
 28. The exposureapparatus according to claim 26, wherein the first measurement beam ofthe first measurement system passes through an inside of the firstmeasurement member, and the second measurement beam of the secondmeasurement system passes through an inside of the second measurementmember.
 29. A device manufacturing method, including: exposing theobject using the exposure apparatus according to claim 14; anddeveloping the object which has been exposed.
 30. A method of making anexposure apparatus that exposes an object with an energy beam via aprojection optical system, the method comprising: supporting theprojection optical system by a frame structure; placing a base memberunder the projection optical system supported by the frame structure sothat a surface of the base member is substantially parallel to atwo-dimensional plane orthogonal to an optical axis of the projectionoptical system; placing a holding member on the base member, the holdingmember having a mounting area of the object and a measurement plane thatis placed lower than the mounting area and has a grating; providing anexposure station in which an exposure processing to irradiate the energybeam on the object via the projection optical system is performed, theexposure station having a first measurement member and a firstmeasurement system, the first measurement member being supported by theframe structure, a part of the first measurement member being placedunder the projection optical system, and the first measurement systemmeasuring positional information of the holding member by irradiatingthe measurement plane with a first measurement beam from below via afirst head section that is provided at the first measurement member tobe placed between a surface of the base member and the measurementplane; providing a measurement station which has a detection systemdistanced from the projection optical system and supported by the framestructure, and in which a measurement processing of the object by thedetection system is performed, the measurement station having a secondmeasurement member and a second measurement system, the secondmeasurement member being supported by the frame structure, a part of thesecond measurement member being placed under the detection system, andthe second measurement system measuring positional information of theholding member by irradiating the measurement plane with a secondmeasurement beam from below via a second head section that is providedat the second measurement member to be placed between the surface of thebase member and the measurement plane; and coupling a controller to thefirst and the second measurement systems, the controller controllingmovement of the holding member based on the positional informationmeasured by the first measurement system in the exposure station andcontrolling movement of the holding member based on the positionalinformation measured by the second measurement system in the measurementstation.